menor
Lemma Details
Translation: smaller; lesser; younger; minor; underage
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'minor' meaning 'smaller' or 'less'. This shares the same Latin root as English words like 'minor', 'minority', and 'diminish'. The Latin comparative form 'minor' comes from the positive form 'parvus' (small), which underwent suppletion (using different roots for different forms of the same word).
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Sounds like 'minor' in English, which has similar meanings.
- Think of 'men' in 'menor' as being smaller than 'may' in 'mayor' (its antonym).
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In legal contexts, 'menor de edad' refers to someone under the age of majority (18 in most Spanish-speaking countries). The term is also commonly used in family contexts to refer to the youngest child.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Menor' means 'smaller/younger/lesser' while 'mejor' means 'better'. They look similar but have different meanings.
Confused word:
Ella es la mejor de la clase.
She is the best in the class.
Notes: Both are comparative forms but of different adjectives: 'menor' is the comparative of 'pequeño' (small), while 'mejor' is the comparative of 'bueno' (good).
Mnemonic: 'Menor' has an 'n' like 'tiny', while 'mejor' has a 'j' like 'just great'.
Explanation: 'Menor' and 'mayor' are direct opposites. 'Menor' means 'smaller/younger/lesser' while 'mayor' means 'bigger/older/greater'.
Notes: Both are irregular comparative forms in Spanish that come directly from Latin.
Mnemonic: Think of 'mayor' as containing 'may' (like May comes after April, so it's 'more' or 'bigger').