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Viajo un par de veces al año.

Viajo un par de veces al año.
I travel a couple of times a year.
From Lesson 297:Fractions and multipliers (la mitad, el doble)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Viajo un par de veces al año.

Is un par de used exactly like "a couple of" in English?
Yes! Just like in English, un par de literally means "a pair of" or exactly two, but it is very commonly used to express a small, approximate quantity. It is a great phrase to use alongside fractions and multipliers when you want to express specific, yet casual amounts.
Why do we use veces for "times" instead of tiempos?
Tiempo refers to time as a measurable concept (like the time on a clock, or time passing). When you are counting specific occurrences or instances (like "three times" or "a couple of times"), you must always use vez (singular) or veces (plural).
Why is it al año instead of just un año for "a year"?
When expressing how often you do something (frequency), Spanish uses the preposition a followed by the definite article (el, la, etc.). Since año is masculine, a + el combines into the contraction al. You will also see this pattern in phrases like dos veces a la semana (twice a week) or una vez al mes (once a month).
Why does the spelling change to a 'c' in veces?
The singular word for "time" or "instance" is vez, which ends in z. In Spanish spelling rules, when making a noun plural that ends in z, the z changes to a c before adding -es. This spelling change ensures the consonant keeps the exact same soft 's' sound.

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