primero
“primero” means “first” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
first
Also: main, former
📝 In Action
Es mi primer día en la oficina.
A1It's my first day at the office.
La primera casa a la derecha es la mía.
A1The first house on the right is mine.
Llegaron en los primeros lugares de la carrera.
A2They arrived in the first places of the race.
Mi primera impresión fue muy buena.
B1My first impression was very good.
first, firstly
Also: before
📝 In Action
Primero, vamos a cenar y luego vamos al cine.
A1First, we're going to have dinner, and then we're going to the movies.
No quiero ir. Primero, estoy cansado. Segundo, no tengo dinero.
A2I don't want to go. Firstly, I'm tired. Secondly, I don't have any money.
Llegué primero que tú.
B1I arrived before you.
the first one
Also: the first day (of the month)
📝 In Action
De todos los candidatos, él fue el primero en llegar.
A2Of all the candidates, he was the first one to arrive.
Mi cumpleaños es el primero de julio.
A2My birthday is the first of July.
¿Cuál coche te gusta más? — El primero.
B1Which car do you like more? — The first one.
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: primero
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence is correct?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'prīmārius', which meant 'of the first rank' or 'chief'. It's related to 'prīmus', the Latin word for 'first'. So, from the very beginning, it has always been about being number one!
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'primer' and 'primero'?
It's a great question! They both mean 'first'. You use the short form 'primer' right before a masculine noun (el primer coche). You use the full form 'primero' when it stands alone (Él llegó primero) or when it comes after the noun (el piso primero).
Can I use 'uno' instead of 'primero' for the first of the month?
No, this is a special rule in Spanish. For the first day of any month, you must use 'primero'. For all other days, you use the regular numbers (el dos, el tres, etc.). So, it's 'el primero de marzo', but 'el dos de marzo'.
How is 'primero' (adverb) different from 'primero' (adjective)?
The adverb 'primero' (meaning 'firstly') is used to order actions or ideas and it never changes. For example: 'Primero, come.' (First, eat). The adjective 'primero' describes a noun and must change to match it in gender and number (el primer día, la primera noche, los primeros años).