mediano
Lemma Details
Translation: medium; average; middle-sized; mediocre; moderate
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'medianus' meaning 'of the middle', which comes from 'medius' (middle). This shares the same Latin root as English words like 'medium', 'median', and 'mediocre'. The 'medi-' prefix in both languages indicates something in the middle or intermediate position.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'median' in statistics - the middle value, just as 'mediano' refers to something in the middle or average.
- Remember 'medium' in English (as in medium-sized) - it sounds similar to 'mediano'.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish culture, being 'mediano' can sometimes carry a slightly negative connotation when referring to quality or performance, similar to 'mediocre' in English, though it's less harsh. When referring to size, it's completely neutral.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Mediano' means 'medium-sized' or 'average', while 'medio' can mean 'half', 'middle', or 'medium' as a noun. 'Medio' is also used as an adverb meaning 'somewhat'.
Confused word:
Solo comí medio sándwich.
I only ate half a sandwich.
Notes: 'Medio' is more versatile and can function as an adjective, noun, or adverb, while 'mediano' is primarily an adjective describing size or quality.
Mnemonic: 'Mediano' ends with '-ano' like many adjectives (americano, peruano), while 'medio' is shorter and often means 'half'.
Explanation: 'Mediano' refers to something of medium size or quality, while 'meridiano' means 'meridian' (a geographical term) or can be used to mean 'clear' or 'evident'.
Notes: These words look similar but have completely different meanings and contexts of use.
Mnemonic: 'Meridiano' contains 'rid' which can remind you of 'grid' lines on a map (meridians).