pronto

Lemma Details

Translation: soon; quickly; promptly; early; readily

Part of Speech: adverb

Etymology: From Latin 'promptus' meaning 'ready, at hand, prepared', which is the past participle of 'promere' ('to bring forth'). The English word 'prompt' shares this Latin root, making it a cognate. The evolution from 'ready' to 'quickly' shows how preparedness became associated with speed of action in both languages.

Commonality: 90%

Guessability: 80%

Register: neutral

Mnemonics

  • Think of being 'prompt' (on time) for an appointment - that's being 'pronto'.
  • Remember the English phrase 'pronto!' meaning 'do it quickly!' - it's borrowed directly from Spanish.
  • Associate it with a prompt response - something that happens quickly or soon.

Related Words, Phrases & Idioms

de pronto

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No translation

por de pronto

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tan pronto como

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pronto a

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Synonyms

rápidamente

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enseguida

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inmediatamente

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en breve

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Antonyms

tarde

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lentamente

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nunca

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Cultural Context

In Spanish-speaking countries, 'pronto' is used frequently in everyday conversation to indicate both immediacy and a near future. It's also commonly used in phone conversations as a way to say goodbye, similar to 'talk to you soon' in English.

Easily Confused With

listo

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Commonality: 0%

Explanation: While 'pronto' primarily means 'soon' or 'quickly' as an adverb, 'listo' means 'ready' or 'clever' as an adjective. They can overlap in meaning when 'pronto' is used as an adjective meaning 'ready'.

Notes: In some contexts, 'pronto' can be used as an adjective meaning 'ready', but this usage is less common than its adverbial meaning.

Mnemonic: Think: 'pronto' is about time (soon), while 'listo' is about state (ready).

temprano

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No translation

Commonality: 0%

Explanation: 'Pronto' means 'soon' or 'quickly', while 'temprano' specifically means 'early' in relation to a schedule or expected time.

Notes: Both can sometimes be translated as 'early' in English, but with different connotations.

Mnemonic: 'Temprano' relates to time of day (like 'temporal'), while 'pronto' relates to duration or immediacy.