atrás
/ah-TRAHS/
back
Atrás can mean 'back' or 'behind,' often referring to a place or direction.
atrás(Adverb)
back
?referring to a place or direction
,behind
?in a general sense, 'in the back'
backwards
?describing movement
📝 In Action
El baño está atrás, a la derecha.
A1The bathroom is in the back, to the right.
No mires atrás, sigue adelante.
A2Don't look back, keep going forward.
Por favor, da un paso hacia atrás.
A2Please, take a step backwards.
Se sentó en el asiento de atrás del coche.
B1He sat in the back seat of the car.
💡 Grammar Points
Atrás vs. Detrás
Think of 'detrás' as 'behind something'. It almost always needs a partner, 'de', like in 'detrás de la casa' (behind the house). 'Atrás' is more general, meaning 'in the back' or 'backwards', and can be used all by itself.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Atrás' instead of 'Detrás de'
Mistake: "El coche está atrás la tienda."
Correction: El coche está detrás de la tienda. (The car is behind the store.) When you say *what* something is behind, you need 'detrás de'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Movement vs. Position
'Atrás' is great for talking about movement, like 'caminar hacia atrás' (to walk backwards). 'Detrás' is more common for a fixed position, like 'está detrás del sofá' (it's behind the sofa).
When referring to time, atrás means 'ago,' as in 'We met three years ago.'
📝 In Action
Nos conocimos tres años atrás.
A2We met three years ago.
Tiempo atrás, no existían los teléfonos inteligentes.
B1A while back, smartphones didn't exist.
Dejó su país muchos años atrás.
B2He left his country many years ago.
💡 Grammar Points
Talking About the Past
To say 'ago', you can use the pattern '[time period] + atrás'. For example, 'dos semanas atrás' (two weeks ago). It means the same as 'hace + [time period]', like 'hace dos semanas'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Sounding Natural
While 'atrás' is correct for 'ago', you'll hear 'hace' much more often in everyday conversation. Using 'atrás' for time can sound a little more formal or like you're telling a story.
As an interjection, ¡Atrás! is a command meaning 'Back!' or 'Get back!'
📝 In Action
¡Atrás! El perro es agresivo.
B1Back! The dog is aggressive.
El policía gritó a la multitud: "¡Atrás, por favor!"
B2The police officer shouted to the crowd: "Back, please!"
⭐ Usage Tips
Giving a Command
When you shout '¡Atrás!', it's a direct, forceful command to move away from something. It's short, sharp, and gets the point across quickly.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: atrás
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says 'The garden is behind the house'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between 'atrás' and 'detrás'?
The easiest trick is to remember that 'detrás' usually needs a partner: 'detrás de...' (behind the...). For example, 'El gato está detrás del sofá' (The cat is behind the sofa). 'Atrás' is more general and can be used alone. It means 'in the back', 'backwards', or 'in the past', like 'Siéntate atrás' (Sit in the back).
Can I always use 'atrás' to mean 'ago'?
Yes, it's grammatically correct, like in 'un año atrás' (one year ago). However, it's much more common for native speakers to use 'hace' in daily conversation ('hace un año'). Using 'atrás' for time often sounds a bit more formal or like you're telling a story.