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How to Say "backwards" in Spanish

The Spanish word forbackwardsis atrásA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1

atrás

AdverbA1
describing movement
A cheerful red truck driving away from the viewer on a road, emphasizing movement toward the rear or background.

Examples

El baño está atrás, a la derecha.

The bathroom is in the back, to the right.

No mires atrás, sigue adelante.

Don't look back, keep going forward.

Por favor, da un paso hacia atrás.

Please, take a step backwards.

Atrás vs. Detrás

Think of 'detrás' as 'behind something'. It almost always needs a partner, 'de', like in 'detrás de la casa' (behind the house). 'Atrás' is more general, meaning 'in the back' or 'backwards', and can be used all by itself.

Using 'Atrás' instead of 'Detrás de'

Mistake:El coche está atrás la tienda.

Correction: El coche está detrás de la tienda. (The car is behind the store.) When you say *what* something is behind, you need 'detrás de'.

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