modos

moh-dohs/ˈmo.ðos/

“modos” means “manners” in Spanish (behavior, politeness).

manners

Also: ways, tone

NounmB1

A brightly colored illustration showing a small child politely shaking the hand of an adult woman as a sign of good manners.

📝 In Action

Es un niño con muy buenos modos, siempre dice 'por favor' y 'gracias'.

He's a child with very good manners, he always says 'please' and 'thank you'.

No me gustan sus modos; es una persona muy arrogante.

I don't like his ways; he's a very arrogant person.

¡Qué modos son esos de hablarle a tu madre!

What kind of tone is that to use with your mother!

Word Connections

Synonyms

maneras (manners)
comportamiento (behavior)

Antonyms

grosería (rudeness)

Common Collocations

buenos/malos modos – good/bad manners
de todos modos – anyway, in any case
de ningún modo – by no means, no way

Idioms & Expressions

de todos modos – Used to mean 'anyway' or 'in any case', often to move on from a topic or add a final thought.

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "modos" in Spanish:

manners→tone→ways→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: modos

Question 1 of 1

If a friend tells you, 'No me hables con esos modos', what are they complaining about?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

modo(way, manner, mode) — Noun

modal(modal) — Adjective

modificar(to modify) — Verb

modelo(model) — Noun

🎵 Rhymes▼

todoscodosapodos

📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'modus', which meant 'measure', 'rhythm', 'way', or 'manner'. It's the ancestor of many English words like 'mode', 'model', and 'moderate'.

First recorded: 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: modeFrench: modeItalian: modoPortuguese: modo

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'modos' and 'maneras'?

They are very similar and often interchangeable when talking about behavior ('buenos modos' / 'buenas maneras' both mean 'good manners'). 'Maneras' is slightly more common for 'manners' in some regions, while 'modos' can also refer more broadly to a person's general way or attitude.

What does 'de todos modos' mean?

It's a very common phrase that means 'anyway' or 'in any case'. For example: 'Llueve, pero de todos modos voy a salir.' (It's raining, but I'm going out anyway).