más
Lemma Details
Translation: more; plus; further; additionally
Part of Speech: adverb
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'magis' meaning 'more' or 'to a greater extent'. This Latin root is also the source of English words like 'magnify', 'magnitude', and 'maximum'. The evolution from 'magis' to 'más' involved the loss of the middle consonant, a common phonological change in the development of Spanish from Latin.
Commonality: 95%
Guessability: 60%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Mnemonics
- Think of the English word 'mass' - more mass means 'more' of something.
- The accent mark points upward, like something increasing or becoming 'more'.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
A fundamental word in Spanish that appears in countless expressions and idioms. It's used not only for comparisons but also to intensify meaning in many contexts.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Más' (with accent) means 'more', while 'mas' (without accent) is a literary conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however'.
This word:
Quiero más café.
I want more coffee.
Notes: 'Mas' without the accent is rarely used in everyday speech and is mostly found in literature or formal writing.
Mnemonic: The accent in 'más' adds more emphasis, just like the word itself means 'more'.
Explanation: While 'más' is used for comparisons meaning 'more', 'mayor' specifically means 'greater' or 'older' in comparisons of age or size.
Confused word:
Mi hermano es mayor que yo.
My brother is older than me.
Notes: 'Más' is more general, while 'mayor' is more specific to age and size comparisons.
Mnemonic: Think of 'mayor' as related to 'major' - something of greater importance or size.