quincena

fortnight

noun keen-SEH-nah Rare

Origin: From Latin quindecim (fifteen).

Also means

two-week period

Usage Note

Quincena literally means a period of fifteen days and is widely used in Spain and Latin America to refer to the fortnightly pay period — cobrar la quincena means 'to collect the fortnightly wage'. It can also mean the first or second half of a month: la primera quincena de junio ('the first fortnight of June'). Not to be confused with quince (fifteen) or quinceañera (a girl's fifteenth-birthday celebration).

Examples

"Le pagan cada quincena."

Natural Translation

They pay him every fortnight.

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