demás
/deh-MAHS/
the rest
The red apple is separate from the rest (los demás) of the green apples.
📝 In Action
Yo me quedo aquí, los demás pueden irse.
A2I'm staying here, the rest of you can go.
Todas las demás tiendas estaban cerradas.
A2All the other stores were closed.
No me importa lo que piensen los demás.
B1I don't care what others think.
Guarda esta caja y tira lo demás.
B1Keep this box and throw the rest away.
💡 Grammar Points
Always Needs a Partner Word
demás almost always follows a word like el, la, los, las, or lo. Think of it as 'THE rest' or 'THE others', not just 'rest' or 'others'.
Matching the Group
Use los demás for men or a mixed group, las demás for women, and lo demás for ideas, situations, or 'everything else'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting 'los' or 'las'
Mistake: "Hablé con María y después con demás personas."
Correction: Hablé con María y después con las demás personas. You need `las` because you're talking about 'THE other' specific people in that group.
⭐ Usage Tips
Use as a Pronoun or Adjective
You can use it alone (Los demás llegaron - The others arrived) or with a noun (Los demás niños llegaron - The other children arrived). The meaning is the same.
The tiny flaw is noted, but otherwise (por lo demás), the castle is magnificent.
demás(Phrase)
otherwise
?introducing a contrasting point
,apart from that
?setting one detail aside
for the rest
?in other respects
📝 In Action
El hotel es un poco ruidoso; por lo demás, es excelente.
B2The hotel is a bit noisy; otherwise, it's excellent.
Se me olvidó la cartera. Por lo demás, estoy listo para salir.
B2I forgot my wallet. Apart from that, I'm ready to go out.
💡 Grammar Points
A Fixed Phrase
The phrase por lo demás always stays exactly like this. You don't change lo to los or las.
⭐ Usage Tips
Acknowledge and Move On
Use por lo demás to acknowledge one fact (often a minor negative one) before moving on to talk about the bigger picture (often a positive one). It's a great way to make your speaking and writing sound more advanced.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: demás
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly says 'The other cars are in the garage'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'los demás' and 'los otros'?
They are very similar and often interchangeable! 'Los demás' refers to 'the rest' of a specific, known group. 'Los otros' can mean 'the others' in the same way, but it can also mean 'other ones' in a more general sense. When in doubt, if you mean 'all the remaining ones', 'los demás' is a perfect choice.
Can I ever use 'demás' by itself, without 'los' or 'las'?
It's very rare in modern Spanish. You might see it in older texts or in the set phrase 'por demás', which means 'uselessly' or 'in vain'. For everyday use, it's best to always pair it with `el`, `la`, `los`, `las`, or `lo`.