varios
Lemma Details
Translation: various; several; a few; multiple; diverse
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'varius' meaning 'diverse, varied, changeable'. The same Latin root gave English 'various', 'variety', 'variegate', and 'variance'. The connection to English 'various' makes this word relatively easy to remember for English speakers, as both the form and meaning are closely related.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Hay varios libros en la mesa.
There are several books on the table.
Tengo varias ideas para el proyecto.
I have several ideas for the project.
Hemos visitado varios países en Europa.
We have visited several countries in Europe.
Por varias razones, no puedo asistir.
For various reasons, I cannot attend.
Mnemonics
- Sounds like 'various' in English, which has the same meaning.
- Think of 'various' options at a 'var-ios' (variety) store.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
A very common word in Spanish used in both formal and informal contexts. It's often used in plural form to indicate an unspecified number greater than one but not extremely large.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Varios' means 'several' or 'various' (quantity), while 'variado' means 'varied' or 'diverse' (quality or characteristic).
Confused word:
El menú es muy variado.
The menu is very varied.
Notes: 'Varios' is used as a determiner before nouns, while 'variado' is used as an adjective that can follow nouns.
Mnemonic: 'Varios' counts multiple things; 'variado' describes diversity.
Explanation: 'Varios' is the plural form used to mean 'several', while 'vario' (singular) is rarely used in everyday speech and means 'varied' or 'diverse'.
Notes: 'Vario' in singular form is more literary and less common in everyday speech.
Mnemonic: Remember that 'varios' (plural) is the common form you'll encounter in everyday Spanish.