How to Say "Ones" in Spanish

1. When “ones” is used with an adjective

Let’s start with the simplest way to translate “ones”: When it’s combined with an adjective, such as “the good ones”, “the weird ones”, or “the red ones”. In these cases, you’ll translate the article and adjective and drop the word “ones” altogether.

In the example below, “the weird ones” becomes las raras.

• Those houses are the weird ones.
• ‍Esas casas son las raras.‍

(Literally: "Those houses are the weirds.”)

Note: Since most Spanish adjectives are gendered and countable, you’ll adjust the adjective to match the noun. Since casas is plural and feminine, raras is also plural and feminine. 

Here’s another example that uses the masculine noun los juguetes:

• What toys do you want? // I don’t want the big ones. I want the small ones.‍
• ¿Qué juguetes quieres? // No quiero los grandes. Quiero los pequeños.

And for fun, here’s a feminine version of that same sentence, using las flores:

• What flowers do you want? // I don’t want the big ones; I want the small ones.
• ‍¿Qué flores quieres? // No quiero las grandes; quiero las pequeñas.

For English speakers, it might seem confusing that we drop the word “ones” in these sentences. But it isn’t so strange if you think about how we sometimes drop “ones” in English, especially with the word “other.” Consider the following sentence:

• I only want the new book. You can keep the others.

You *could* say “the other ones” in the second sentence, but you can also just say “the others”. In Spanish, you always omit “ones”, with any adjective (not just “other”).

• ‍Yo solo quiero el libro nuevo. Puedes quedarte con los otros.

More Examples:

• Where are the candies? The good ones are over there.
• ‍¿Dónde están los dulces? Los buenos están allá.
• These t-shirts are the good ones.
• ‍Estas camisetas son las buenas.

2. In the phrase "the ones that," use los que or las que

Now that we’ve made sense of “ones” along with adjectives, let’s jump into something even trickier. I promise it will make sense by the end!

Consider the following sentence in English and its Spanish translation:

• What shoes do you want? I want the ones that he has.
• ‍¿Qué zapatos quieres? Quiero los que él tiene.

Notice how in this case “the ones that” turns into “los que”. Depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, you would use “los que” or “las que.” Both phrases literally mean “the that”, but they can also mean “the ones that”. And of course, since zapatos is both plural and masculine, we should use “los que”.

Check out the examples below for more practice. 

More Examples:

• These girls are the ones that are with him. Estas chicas son las que están con él.
• Those boys were the ones that left with her. Esos chicos fueron los que se fueron con ella.
• They want these devices to be the ones that we use. Quieren que estos dispositivos sean los que usemos.

‍

Quiz Time!

Now that we’ve covered the first two ways to translate “the ones” in Spanish, it’s time for a mini-quiz to test your knowledge. Try to guess the Spanish that goes in the blanks.

1. Those girls were the ones that left with her.Esas chicas fueron ______ se fueron con ella.
2. She doesn’t want the normal things, she wants the weird ones.
   No quiere las cosas normales, quiere _____.
3. These dogs are the good ones.Estos perros son _______.
4. These seats aren’t good. We want the ones they have.Estos asientos no son buenos; queremos ______ ellos tienen.

Answers:

1. las que
2. las raras
3. los buenos
4. los que

3. When “ones” appears before a preposition

The third way to translate “the ones” is a bit tricky, but with a little practice, you can master it! When “ones” appears before a preposition, especially the preposition de, you skip the word “ones” entirely. Instead, you use the article (los/las) directly with the preposition.

For example:

• These girls are the ones from Colombia. Estas chicas son las de Colombia.
• Are these toys the ones from there?¿Estos juguetes son los de allí?

Just like in the previous scenarios, the article that replaces “the ones” takes on the gender of the subject. In the first example, “chicas” is feminine so you use “las de”, and “juguetes” is masculine so you use “los de”. This pattern may feel odd at first, but it’s incredibly common in Spanish.

Ready for some practice? 

Quiz Time

• Those pants are the ones from that store. Esos pantalones son _______ esa tienda.
  
• These beaches are like the ones in Florida. Estas playas son como ______ Florida.

Answers:

• los de
• las de 

Recap: How to Translate “Ones” in Spanish

Let’s recap the three main ways to translate “ones” in Spanish:

1. Just Use the Adjective‍

Drop “the ones” and simply translate the article and adjective that match the gender and number of the noun. For example:

• What toys do you want? //I don’t want the big ones. I want the small ones.‍
• ¿Qué juguete quieres? // No quiero los grandes. Quiero los pequeños.

2. Translate “the ones that” as either “los que” or “las que”.‍

When translating a sentence that uses “the ones that”, use los/las que like in the following sentence:

• What shoes do you want? I want the ones that he has.‍
• ¿Que zapatos quieres? Quiero los que él tiene.
  
  

3. Use the Article with a Preposition‍

When “ones” appears before the preposition de, you skip the word “ones” entirely. Instead, you use the article (los/las) directly with the preposition de.

• These girls are the ones from Canada.
• Estas chicas son las de Canadá.

Practice “Ones” — Drill with Free Flashcards!

Now that you’ve seen the three main ways to translate “ones,” it’s time to practice!

We’ve created a set of 30 free flashcards with examples of “ones” translated into Spanish. Each card includes a full sentence in Spanish on one side and the English equivalent on the other. 

Download the free flashcards here.

1. When “ones” is used with an adjective

Let’s start with the simplest way to translate “ones”: When it’s combined with an adjective, such as “the good ones”, “the weird ones”, or “the red ones”. In these cases, you’ll translate the article and adjective and drop the word “ones” altogether.

In the example below, “the weird ones” becomes las raras.

• Those houses are the weird ones.
• ‍Esas casas son las raras.‍

(Literally: "Those houses are the weirds.”)

Note: Since most Spanish adjectives are gendered and countable, you’ll adjust the adjective to match the noun. Since casas is plural and feminine, raras is also plural and feminine. 

Here’s another example that uses the masculine noun los juguetes:

• What toys do you want? // I don’t want the big ones. I want the small ones.‍
• ¿Qué juguetes quieres? // No quiero los grandes. Quiero los pequeños.

And for fun, here’s a feminine version of that same sentence, using las flores:

• What flowers do you want? // I don’t want the big ones; I want the small ones.
• ‍¿Qué flores quieres? // No quiero las grandes; quiero las pequeñas.

For English speakers, it might seem confusing that we drop the word “ones” in these sentences. But it isn’t so strange if you think about how we sometimes drop “ones” in English, especially with the word “other.” Consider the following sentence:

• I only want the new book. You can keep the others.

You *could* say “the other ones” in the second sentence, but you can also just say “the others”. In Spanish, you always omit “ones”, with any adjective (not just “other”).

• ‍Yo solo quiero el libro nuevo. Puedes quedarte con los otros.

More Examples:

• Where are the candies? The good ones are over there.
• ‍¿Dónde están los dulces? Los buenos están allá.
• These t-shirts are the good ones.
• ‍Estas camisetas son las buenas.

2. In the phrase "the ones that," use los que or las que

Now that we’ve made sense of “ones” along with adjectives, let’s jump into something even trickier. I promise it will make sense by the end!

Consider the following sentence in English and its Spanish translation:

• What shoes do you want? I want the ones that he has.
• ‍¿Qué zapatos quieres? Quiero los que él tiene.

Notice how in this case “the ones that” turns into “los que”. Depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, you would use “los que” or “las que.” Both phrases literally mean “the that”, but they can also mean “the ones that”. And of course, since zapatos is both plural and masculine, we should use “los que”.

Check out the examples below for more practice. 

More Examples:

• These girls are the ones that are with him. Estas chicas son las que están con él.
• Those boys were the ones that left with her. Esos chicos fueron los que se fueron con ella.
• They want these devices to be the ones that we use. Quieren que estos dispositivos sean los que usemos.

‍

Quiz Time!

Now that we’ve covered the first two ways to translate “the ones” in Spanish, it’s time for a mini-quiz to test your knowledge. Try to guess the Spanish that goes in the blanks.

1. Those girls were the ones that left with her.Esas chicas fueron ______ se fueron con ella.
2. She doesn’t want the normal things, she wants the weird ones.
   No quiere las cosas normales, quiere _____.
3. These dogs are the good ones.Estos perros son _______.
4. These seats aren’t good. We want the ones they have.Estos asientos no son buenos; queremos ______ ellos tienen.

Answers:

1. las que
2. las raras
3. los buenos
4. los que

3. When “ones” appears before a preposition

The third way to translate “the ones” is a bit tricky, but with a little practice, you can master it! When “ones” appears before a preposition, especially the preposition de, you skip the word “ones” entirely. Instead, you use the article (los/las) directly with the preposition.

For example:

• These girls are the ones from Colombia. Estas chicas son las de Colombia.
• Are these toys the ones from there?¿Estos juguetes son los de allí?

Just like in the previous scenarios, the article that replaces “the ones” takes on the gender of the subject. In the first example, “chicas” is feminine so you use “las de”, and “juguetes” is masculine so you use “los de”. This pattern may feel odd at first, but it’s incredibly common in Spanish.

Ready for some practice? 

Quiz Time

• Those pants are the ones from that store. Esos pantalones son _______ esa tienda.
  
• These beaches are like the ones in Florida. Estas playas son como ______ Florida.

Answers:

• los de
• las de 

Recap: How to Translate “Ones” in Spanish

Let’s recap the three main ways to translate “ones” in Spanish:

1. Just Use the Adjective‍

Drop “the ones” and simply translate the article and adjective that match the gender and number of the noun. For example:

• What toys do you want? //I don’t want the big ones. I want the small ones.‍
• ¿Qué juguete quieres? // No quiero los grandes. Quiero los pequeños.

2. Translate “the ones that” as either “los que” or “las que”.‍

When translating a sentence that uses “the ones that”, use los/las que like in the following sentence:

• What shoes do you want? I want the ones that he has.‍
• ¿Que zapatos quieres? Quiero los que él tiene.
  
  

3. Use the Article with a Preposition‍

When “ones” appears before the preposition de, you skip the word “ones” entirely. Instead, you use the article (los/las) directly with the preposition de.

• These girls are the ones from Canada.
• Estas chicas son las de Canadá.

Practice “Ones” — Drill with Free Flashcards!

Now that you’ve seen the three main ways to translate “ones,” it’s time to practice!

We’ve created a set of 30 free flashcards with examples of “ones” translated into Spanish. Each card includes a full sentence in Spanish on one side and the English equivalent on the other. 

Download the free flashcards here.

1. When “ones” is used with an adjective

Let’s start with the simplest way to translate “ones”: When it’s combined with an adjective, such as “the good ones”, “the weird ones”, or “the red ones”. In these cases, you’ll translate the article and adjective and drop the word “ones” altogether.

In the example below, “the weird ones” becomes las raras.

• Those houses are the weird ones.
• ‍Esas casas son las raras.‍

(Literally: "Those houses are the weirds.”)

Note: Since most Spanish adjectives are gendered and countable, you’ll adjust the adjective to match the noun. Since casas is plural and feminine, raras is also plural and feminine. 

Here’s another example that uses the masculine noun los juguetes:

• What toys do you want? // I don’t want the big ones. I want the small ones.‍
• ¿Qué juguetes quieres? // No quiero los grandes. Quiero los pequeños.

And for fun, here’s a feminine version of that same sentence, using las flores:

• What flowers do you want? // I don’t want the big ones; I want the small ones.
• ‍¿Qué flores quieres? // No quiero las grandes; quiero las pequeñas.

For English speakers, it might seem confusing that we drop the word “ones” in these sentences. But it isn’t so strange if you think about how we sometimes drop “ones” in English, especially with the word “other.” Consider the following sentence:

• I only want the new book. You can keep the others.

You *could* say “the other ones” in the second sentence, but you can also just say “the others”. In Spanish, you always omit “ones”, with any adjective (not just “other”).

• ‍Yo solo quiero el libro nuevo. Puedes quedarte con los otros.

More Examples:

• Where are the candies? The good ones are over there.
• ‍¿Dónde están los dulces? Los buenos están allá.
• These t-shirts are the good ones.
• ‍Estas camisetas son las buenas.

2. In the phrase "the ones that," use los que or las que

Now that we’ve made sense of “ones” along with adjectives, let’s jump into something even trickier. I promise it will make sense by the end!

Consider the following sentence in English and its Spanish translation:

• What shoes do you want? I want the ones that he has.
• ‍¿Qué zapatos quieres? Quiero los que él tiene.

Notice how in this case “the ones that” turns into “los que”. Depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, you would use “los que” or “las que.” Both phrases literally mean “the that”, but they can also mean “the ones that”. And of course, since zapatos is both plural and masculine, we should use “los que”.

Check out the examples below for more practice. 

More Examples:

• These girls are the ones that are with him. Estas chicas son las que están con él.
• Those boys were the ones that left with her. Esos chicos fueron los que se fueron con ella.
• They want these devices to be the ones that we use. Quieren que estos dispositivos sean los que usemos.

‍

Quiz Time!

Now that we’ve covered the first two ways to translate “the ones” in Spanish, it’s time for a mini-quiz to test your knowledge. Try to guess the Spanish that goes in the blanks.

1. Those girls were the ones that left with her.Esas chicas fueron ______ se fueron con ella.
2. She doesn’t want the normal things, she wants the weird ones.
   No quiere las cosas normales, quiere _____.
3. These dogs are the good ones.Estos perros son _______.
4. These seats aren’t good. We want the ones they have.Estos asientos no son buenos; queremos ______ ellos tienen.

Answers:

1. las que
2. las raras
3. los buenos
4. los que

3. When “ones” appears before a preposition

The third way to translate “the ones” is a bit tricky, but with a little practice, you can master it! When “ones” appears before a preposition, especially the preposition de, you skip the word “ones” entirely. Instead, you use the article (los/las) directly with the preposition.

For example:

• These girls are the ones from Colombia. Estas chicas son las de Colombia.
• Are these toys the ones from there?¿Estos juguetes son los de allí?

Just like in the previous scenarios, the article that replaces “the ones” takes on the gender of the subject. In the first example, “chicas” is feminine so you use “las de”, and “juguetes” is masculine so you use “los de”. This pattern may feel odd at first, but it’s incredibly common in Spanish.

Ready for some practice? 

Quiz Time

• Those pants are the ones from that store. Esos pantalones son _______ esa tienda.
  
• These beaches are like the ones in Florida. Estas playas son como ______ Florida.

Answers:

• los de
• las de 

Recap: How to Translate “Ones” in Spanish

Let’s recap the three main ways to translate “ones” in Spanish:

1. Just Use the Adjective‍

Drop “the ones” and simply translate the article and adjective that match the gender and number of the noun. For example:

• What toys do you want? //I don’t want the big ones. I want the small ones.‍
• ¿Qué juguete quieres? // No quiero los grandes. Quiero los pequeños.

2. Translate “the ones that” as either “los que” or “las que”.‍

When translating a sentence that uses “the ones that”, use los/las que like in the following sentence:

• What shoes do you want? I want the ones that he has.‍
• ¿Que zapatos quieres? Quiero los que él tiene.
  
  

3. Use the Article with a Preposition‍

When “ones” appears before the preposition de, you skip the word “ones” entirely. Instead, you use the article (los/las) directly with the preposition de.

• These girls are the ones from Canada.
• Estas chicas son las de Canadá.

Practice “Ones” — Drill with Free Flashcards!

Now that you’ve seen the three main ways to translate “ones,” it’s time to practice!

We’ve created a set of 30 free flashcards with examples of “ones” translated into Spanish. Each card includes a full sentence in Spanish on one side and the English equivalent on the other. 

Download the free flashcards here.