Breakdown of O ladrão disparou duas vezes.
dois
two
a vez
the time (occasion)
o ladrão
the thief
disparar
to shoot, to fire
Questions & Answers about O ladrão disparou duas vezes.
Is there a single word for "twice" in Portuguese?
No, Portuguese doesn't have direct single-word equivalents for "once" or "twice". You always express this concept by combining the number with the word vez (time/instance). So, "once" is uma vez and "twice" is duas vezes.
Why is it duas vezes instead of dois vezes?
Could I use atirou instead of disparou here?
Yes, atirou (from the verb atirar) is very common and also means "shot" or "fired". However, atirar can also mean "to throw", whereas disparar specifically means to discharge a weapon or trigger a mechanism. In this context, both work perfectly.