Inklingo

How to Say "formerly" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “formerly” is “antes” — use 'antes' as a general adverb to indicate something happened at a past time, often emphasizing the temporal order..

English → Spanish

antes

/ahn-tess//ˈantes/

adverbA1general
Use 'antes' as a general adverb to indicate something happened at a past time, often emphasizing the temporal order.
A timeline showing one event happening before another, indicating the past.

Examples

Yo vivía en Madrid antes.

I lived in Madrid before.

Antes, los teléfonos no tenían internet.

Previously, phones didn't have internet.

Piénsalo bien antes.

Think about it well first.

Stands on its Own

You can use 'antes' all by itself at the end of a sentence to mean 'before now' or 'in the past.' For example, 'No lo había visto antes' (I hadn't seen it before).

anteriormente

an-te-riohr-MEN-teh/an.te.ɾjoɾˈmen.te/

adverbB1general
Use 'anteriormente' when referring to a past state, role, or name that has now changed.
A vibrant green caterpillar sits on a large green leaf. Nearby, a colorful monarch butterfly is flying away, symbolizing the transformation that occurred previously.

Examples

Anteriormente, trabajaba como profesora de historia.

Formerly, I worked as a history teacher.

El edificio, anteriormente una biblioteca, es ahora un restaurante.

The building, formerly a library, is now a restaurant.

Aunque anteriormente se había negado, la junta directiva aprobó el plan de expansión.

Although it had previously been denied, the board of directors approved the expansion plan.

Adverb Placement

Like many adverbs ending in -mente, 'anteriormente' usually sits near the verb it describes, or at the beginning of the sentence to set the scene.

Using 'anterior' instead

Mistake: “Usé el libro anterior.”

Correction: The word 'anterior' is an adjective (previous/former), so you must add the -mente ending to turn it into an adverb meaning 'previously' or 'formerly' (Usé el libro anteriormente).

Choosing Between 'Antes' and 'Anteriormente'

Learners often confuse 'antes' and 'anteriormente' by using the more general 'antes' when a specific past role or state is being discussed. Remember to use 'anteriormente' when talking about a previous job, title, or status that is no longer current.

Related Translations

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