abajo
Lemma Details
Translation: down; downstairs; below; underneath; downward
Part of Speech: adverb
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'ad' (to, toward) + 'bassus' (low). The Latin 'bassus' also gave English words like 'base' and 'bass' (low sound). The evolution from Latin to Spanish shows the typical pattern where 'b' between vowels softened, and the double 's' simplified to 'j' in Spanish pronunciation.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 30%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'a-bajo' as 'to-below' since 'a' means 'to' and 'bajo' means 'low' or 'short'.
- Associate with 'abase' in English, which means to lower or degrade.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
In political contexts, 'abajo' can be used in protest chants like '¡Abajo el gobierno!' (Down with the government!). It's also commonly used in everyday directions and spatial descriptions.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Abajo' is an adverb meaning 'down/downstairs', while 'bajo' can be an adjective meaning 'low/short', a preposition meaning 'under', or a noun meaning 'bass'.
Confused word:
Él es muy bajo para su edad.
He is very short for his age.
Notes: The preposition 'bajo' (under) is often confused with the adverb 'abajo' (down). Remember that 'bajo' requires an object, while 'abajo' stands alone.
Mnemonic: 'Abajo' has the prefix 'a-' which often indicates direction or movement, while 'bajo' without the prefix is more static.
Explanation: 'Abajo' is a general term for 'down' or 'downstairs', while 'debajo' specifically means 'underneath' or 'beneath' and is often followed by 'de'.
Notes: 'Debajo' is more specific about position directly beneath something, while 'abajo' is more general about lower position.
Mnemonic: Think of 'debajo' as 'de' (of/from) + 'abajo' (down) = 'from below' or 'underneath'.