Abstract: A two-cycle engine is provided, especially for a portable, manually-guided implement, and has a cylinder in which is formed a combustion chamber that is delimited by a reciprocating piston that, via a connecting rod, drives a crankshaft mounted in a crankcase. The engine has an inlet and an outlet. In prescribed positions of the piston, the crankcase is fluidically connected with the combustion chamber via at least one transfer channel. The engine has an air channel that conveys essentially fuel-free air and that, in a port-controlled manner, is fluidically connected with at least one transfer channel: To achieve low exhaust gas values, the quantity of air that, at a rated speed, flows from the air channel into the transfer channel during a piston stroke has a volume that is at least 75% of the volume of the transfer channel between the inlet window, via which the transfer channel opens into the combustion chamber, and the opening window, via which the transfer channel opens into the crankcase.