o
/oh/
The word 'o' helps you present a choice between two or more options, just like choosing a path.
o (Conjunction)
📝 In Action
¿Quieres té o café?
A1Do you want tea or coffee?
Podemos ir al cine o al parque.
A1We can go to the movies or to the park.
No sé si es martes o miércoles.
A2I don't know if it's Tuesday or Wednesday.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'o' to 'u' Switch Rule
To make speaking smoother, 'o' changes to 'u' when the very next word starts with an 'o' or 'ho' sound. This avoids having two 'o' sounds in a row. For example, 'siete u ocho' (seven or eight).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting to Use 'u'
Mistake: "Necesito siete o ocho."
Correction: Necesito siete u ocho. (I need seven or eight.) Because 'ocho' starts with an 'o' sound, we switch 'o' to 'u' to avoid the awkward 'o-o' sound clash.
⭐ Usage Tips
Listing Multiple Choices
When you list several options, you usually only put 'o' before the very last one, just like in English. For example: 'Puedes elegir rojo, azul o verde'.
Using 'o' twice, as in 'o... o...', emphasizes that you must choose one option and not the other.
o (Conjunction)
📝 In Action
O vienes conmigo o te quedas en casa.
A2Either you come with me or you stay at home.
O lo haces ahora o no lo haces nunca.
B1Either you do it now or you never do it.
Para el postre, o pides flan o pides helado.
A2For dessert, you either order flan or you order ice cream.
💡 Grammar Points
Emphasizing a Choice
Using 'o' at the beginning of the sentence and again between the choices adds extra emphasis. It makes it clear that only one of the options is possible.
⭐ Usage Tips
Making a Firm Point
This 'o... o...' structure is great for giving ultimatums or making it very clear that a decision needs to be made between two specific things.
'O' can also be used to show that a number isn't exact, similar to saying 'or so' in English.
o (Conjunction)
📝 In Action
Tardará una hora o dos.
A2It will take an hour or two.
Había diez o doce personas en la fiesta.
B1There were ten or twelve people at the party.
Compraré cinco o seis manzanas.
A2I'll buy five or six apples.
⭐ Usage Tips
Giving Quick Estimates
This is a very natural way to give a small range when you're not sure of the exact number. It's most common with consecutive numbers (like 'dos o tres') or numbers that are close together ('diez o doce').
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: o
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence is written correctly?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'o' sometimes change to 'u'?
It's all about sound! Spanish speakers find it awkward to say two 'o' sounds back-to-back. So, when the word right after 'o' starts with an 'o' or 'ho' sound (like 'ocho' or 'Holanda'), the 'o' changes to a 'u' to make the sentence flow more smoothly. It's a small change that makes pronunciation much easier.
Is 'ó' with an accent mark a different word?
It used to be, but not anymore. In the past, people wrote 'ó' when it was between two numbers to avoid confusing it with the number zero (0), for example, '7 ó 9'. However, modern Spanish grammar rules say this accent is no longer necessary. You will now see it written simply as '7 o 9'.