grande
Lemma Details
Translation: big; large; great; tall; grand
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: From Latin 'grandis' meaning 'big' or 'great'. This Latin root also gives us English words like 'grand', 'grandeur', and 'aggrandize'. The Spanish 'grande' and English 'grand' share the same ancestry, though the English term has evolved to connote magnificence or importance rather than just physical size.
Commonality: 95%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of a 'grand' piano, which is physically large.
- Remember the English word 'grand' which shares the same Latin root and similar meaning.
- The word sounds like 'grander' in English, which means 'more impressive or large'.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish, 'grande' is a very common adjective that can be placed either before or after the noun it modifies, with subtle changes in meaning. When placed before the noun (often shortened to 'gran' before singular nouns), it tends to convey admiration or figurative greatness rather than physical size. For example, 'un gran hombre' means 'a great man' (referring to character), while 'un hombre grande' means 'a big man' (referring to physical size).
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Gran' is actually a shortened form of 'grande' used before singular nouns, not a different word. It's used for euphony (better sound) and often implies figurative rather than literal size.
Notes: The position of 'grande' relative to the noun it modifies can change the meaning significantly.
Mnemonic: Before the noun, think 'grand' (quality); after the noun, think 'big' (size).
Explanation: While 'grande' refers to overall size, 'alto' specifically refers to height or tallness.
Confused word:
Tiene una casa alta.
He/She has a tall house.
Notes: When describing people, 'alto' is used for 'tall' while 'grande' might imply overall largeness or being overweight.
Mnemonic: Think of 'altitude' for 'alto' (height) versus overall size for 'grande'.