entre
Lemma Details
Translation: between; among; amid; in between
Part of Speech: preposition
Etymology: From Latin 'inter' meaning 'between, among'. This Latin root is also the source of English words like 'interval', 'international', and 'interior'. The Latin 'inter' itself comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₁enter ('between, among'). The Spanish 'entre' underwent a typical phonological evolution from Latin, with the loss of the final 'r'.
Commonality: 95%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El libro está entre la lámpara y el vaso.
The book is between the lamp and the glass.
Entre todos los estudiantes, María es la más inteligente.
Among all the students, María is the most intelligent.
La reunión es entre las dos y las tres.
The meeting is between two and three o'clock.
Entre tú y yo, no creo que funcione.
Between you and me, I don't think it will work.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'enter' in English - when you enter a room, you go between the doorframe.
- Remember 'entre' sounds like 'entry' - to make an entry is to go between one space and another.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Used very frequently in Spanish, both in spatial and temporal contexts. It's a fundamental preposition for expressing relationships between objects, people, or concepts.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Entre' means 'between' or 'among', while 'dentro' means 'inside' or 'within'. 'Entre' refers to a position in relation to two or more things, while 'dentro' refers to being inside something.
Confused word:
El gato está dentro de la caja.
The cat is inside the box.
Notes: Both prepositions indicate position but with different spatial relationships.
Mnemonic: 'Entre' has the 'e' sound like in 'between', while 'dentro' has the 'in' sound like in 'inside'.
Explanation: 'Entre' is a preposition meaning 'between/among', while 'entrar' is a verb meaning 'to enter/to go in'.
Confused word:
Voy a entrar en la tienda.
I'm going to enter the store.
Notes: Both words share the same Latin root 'inter', but have evolved into different parts of speech.
Mnemonic: 'Entrar' has an extra 'r' at the end - think of the 'r' as the action of moving (verb), while 'entre' without the extra 'r' is static (preposition).