después de todo
Lemma Details
Translation: after all; when all is said and done; in the end; ultimately
Part of Speech: adverbial phrase
Etymology: This phrase combines 'después' (after), which comes from Latin 'de' (from) + 'post' (after), with 'de' (of) and 'todo' (all). The construction parallels the English 'after all' both in structure and meaning, making it relatively intuitive for English speakers.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Después de todo, no era tan difícil como pensábamos.
After all, it wasn't as difficult as we thought.
Decidí quedarme en casa; después de todo, estaba lloviendo.
I decided to stay home; after all, it was raining.
Después de todo lo que hemos pasado, merecemos un descanso.
After everything we've been through, we deserve a break.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'después' (after) + 'todo' (all) = 'after all' in English
- Visualize looking back at everything (todo) that happened before, and then making a conclusion
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
This phrase is widely used in both casual conversation and formal writing across all Spanish-speaking countries. It often introduces a conclusion or final thought that might contradict earlier assumptions.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'después de todo' means 'after all' in the sense of reaching a conclusion, 'a pesar de todo' means 'despite everything' or 'in spite of everything', indicating contrast rather than conclusion.
This word:
Después de todo, él tenía razón sobre el problema.
After all, he was right about the problem.
Confused word:
A pesar de todo, seguimos adelante con el plan.
Despite everything, we continued with the plan.
Notes: 'Después de todo' introduces a concluding thought, while 'a pesar de todo' introduces an action that happens despite obstacles.
Mnemonic: 'Después' looks back at facts to draw a conclusion; 'a pesar' pushes against obstacles to continue.
Explanation: This is a grammatical error. The correct form is 'después de todo' (singular) when used as the adverbial phrase meaning 'after all'. 'Después de todos' would only be used when literally referring to 'after all [people/things]' where 'todos' is a plural pronoun.
This word:
Después de todo, no necesitamos comprar un coche nuevo.
After all, we don't need to buy a new car.
Confused word:
Después de todos los invitados, llegó el presidente.
After all the guests, the president arrived.
Notes: The fixed expression always uses the singular 'todo', regardless of the context.
Mnemonic: When it's the phrase 'after all', use 'todo' (singular); when referring to 'all people/things', use 'todos' (plural).