hacia afuera
Lemma Details
Translation: outward; outwards; to the outside; out
Part of Speech: adverbial phrase
Etymology: Composed of 'hacia' (toward) and 'afuera' (outside). 'Hacia' comes from Old Spanish 'faze a' (face to), from Latin 'facies' (face). 'Afuera' derives from Latin 'ad' (to) + 'foras' (outside, outdoors), which is related to English 'foreign'.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 60%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Abre la puerta hacia afuera.
Open the door outward.
Necesitamos expandir nuestro negocio hacia afuera.
We need to expand our business outward.
El agua fluye hacia afuera por el desagüe.
The water flows outward through the drain.
Ella siempre mira hacia afuera, nunca hacia adentro.
She always looks outward, never inward.
Mnemonics
- 'Hacia' sounds like 'facing' and 'afuera' contains 'fuera' (out), so 'hacia afuera' is like 'facing outward'.
- Think of 'hacia' as 'heading' and 'afuera' as 'a-far', so 'hacia afuera' means heading far away or outward.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Used in both literal spatial contexts and metaphorically to describe orientation, direction, or perspective that moves away from a center point or internal position.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'hacia fuera' and 'hacia afuera' are often used interchangeably, 'hacia afuera' is more emphatic and common in everyday speech. 'Hacia fuera' might be considered slightly more formal or literary.
Confused word:
La energía se dirige hacia fuera del núcleo.
The energy is directed outward from the nucleus.
Notes: In many contexts, these phrases can be used interchangeably without changing the meaning significantly.
Mnemonic: 'Afuera' has the 'a' prefix making it more emphatic, like saying 'completely out'.
Explanation: 'Afuera' alone means 'outside' or 'outdoors' as a location, while 'hacia afuera' specifically indicates movement or direction toward the outside.
Notes: 'Hacia afuera' answers the question 'in which direction?' while 'afuera' answers 'where?'
Mnemonic: 'Hacia afuera' includes direction (hacia = toward), while 'afuera' alone is just the location.