basta
/bas-ta/
📝 In Action
¡Basta! No me grites más.
A1Enough! Don't shout at me anymore.
Mamá, ¿quieres más sopa? —No, gracias, basta.
A2Mom, do you want more soup? —No, thanks, that's enough.
¡Basta ya de quejas! Vamos a buscar una solución.
B1Enough with the complaints already! Let's find a solution.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using it for 'quite' or 'rather'
Mistake: "Sometimes learners confuse 'basta' with 'bastante'. You can't say 'La película fue basta buena'."
Correction: Use 'bastante' for 'quite' or 'rather': 'La película fue bastante buena' (The movie was quite good). Use 'basta' to mean 'stop' or 'is enough'.
⭐ Usage Tips
A Powerful Word
Think of '¡Basta!' as a strong command. It's perfect for when you're fed up or need to stop an annoying action immediately. The tone you use is very important.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: basta
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'basta' to mean 'stop'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between '¡Basta!' and '¡Para!'?
They both can mean 'Stop!'. '¡Para!' (from the verb 'parar', to stop) is more for stopping a physical action, like telling a driver to stop the car. '¡Basta!' is more for stopping an annoying or ongoing situation, like telling someone to stop complaining. You use '¡Basta!' when you've had enough of something.
When do I use 'basta' and when do I use 'suficiente'?
They are very similar. 'Es suficiente' ('it is sufficient') is a common alternative to the verb 'basta'. As a standalone word, 'suficiente' means 'enough' ('Tengo suficiente dinero' - 'I have enough money'). You can't use 'basta' in that way. As an interjection, you must use '¡Basta!' or '¡Suficiente!'; you can't just say '¡Suficiente!' alone as a command.