Inklingo

How to Say "fully" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word forfullyis completamenteuse this word when referring to something being to the full amount or extent, often emphasizing totality or a state of being entirely finished.

English → Spanish

completamente

kom-pleh-tah-men-tehkomˌple.taˈmen.te

adverbA2general
Use this word when referring to something being to the full amount or extent, often emphasizing totality or a state of being entirely finished.
A clear glass jar filled completely to the very top with bright red liquid, contrasting with an empty jar nearby to emphasize the state of being 100% full.

Examples

El informe está completamente terminado.

The report is completely finished.

El vaso está completamente vacío.

The glass is completely empty.

Estoy completamente seguro de mi respuesta.

I am completely sure of my answer.

Olvidé completamente su cumpleaños.

I completely forgot his birthday.

What is an Adverb?

Words like 'completamente' are adverbs. They describe how an action is done or add intensity to another word. Think of them as adding detail, like saying 'run quickly' instead of just 'run'.

The '-mente' Trick

In Spanish, you can often turn an adjective (a describing word) into an adverb by adding '-mente' to the end of its feminine form. 'Completa' (complete) becomes 'completamente' (completely). It's just like adding '-ly' in English!

Placement Matters

Mistake:Using 'completo' instead of 'completamente'. For example, 'Estoy completo seguro.'

Correction: The correct way is 'Estoy completamente seguro.' You need the '-mente' ending to describe *how* you feel (completely sure), not just to describe a thing.

totalmente

toh-tahl-men-tehtoˌtalˈmente

adverbA2general
This is a very common and versatile translation, used when something is entirely or absolutely in a certain state, similar to 'completely'.
A clear glass jar completely filled to the very top with colorful, bright marbles, illustrating the concept of being full to the maximum extent.

Examples

La tienda estaba totalmente cerrada.

The store was totally closed.

La habitación estaba totalmente a oscuras.

The room was completely dark.

Olvidé totalmente que hoy era tu cumpleaños.

I totally forgot that today was your birthday.

El proyecto está totalmente terminado.

The project is fully finished.

What is an Adverb?

An adverb is a word that describes an action (verb) or adds more detail to a descriptive word (adjective). 'Totalmente' tells you 'how much' or 'to what extent' something is done or is.

Making '-mente' Adverbs

In Spanish, you can turn many descriptive words into adverbs by adding '-mente'. Just take the feminine form of the word and add '-mente'. For example, 'total' (which is the same for masculine and feminine) becomes 'totalmente'.

Word Order

Mistake:Estoy de acuerdo totalmente.

Correction: Estoy totalmente de acuerdo. While the first version isn't strictly wrong, it's much more natural to place 'totalmente' right before the word it's describing ('de acuerdo').

enteramente

en-te-rah-MEN-tehenteɾaˈmente

adverbB1general
Use this when emphasizing that something reaches the maximum limit or is wholly and completely the case, often in a more formal context.
A clear glass filled to the very top with bright orange juice.

Examples

La culpa es enteramente tuya.

The fault is entirely yours.

Estoy enteramente de acuerdo con tu propuesta.

I am entirely in agreement with your proposal.

El éxito de la fiesta depende enteramente de la música.

The success of the party depends entirely on the music.

La casa fue construida enteramente de madera.

The house was built entirely of wood.

How it's built

In Spanish, you can turn many adjectives into 'how-to' words by taking the feminine form (the version that ends in -a) and adding '-mente' to the end.

Placement in a sentence

You usually place this word right before the adjective it describes (like 'enteramente nuevo') or after a verb to describe how an action is done.

Using the 'O' version

Mistake:entero-mente

Correction: enteramente. Even though the word for 'whole' is 'entero', you must use the feminine 'a' version when adding the '-mente' ending.

Confusing with 'entero'

Mistake:La casa es enteramente.

Correction: La casa está entera. Use 'entera' (adjective) to describe the object itself, and 'enteramente' (adverb) only to modify a verb or another adjective.

plenamente

ple-nah-MEN-tehplenaˈmente

adverbB2general
This translation is best used when expressing complete agreement, satisfaction, or a state of being fully engaged or realized.
A glass completely filled to the brim with bright orange juice.

Examples

Estoy plenamente convencido de su inocencia.

I am fully convinced of his innocence.

Estoy plenamente de acuerdo con tu decisión.

I fully agree with your decision.

Él es plenamente consciente de lo que pasó.

He is fully aware of what happened.

Queremos que los jóvenes se desarrollen plenamente.

We want young people to develop to their full potential.

The '-mente' Ending

This word is formed by taking the feminine form of the adjective 'plena' (full) and adding '-mente.' It works just like adding '-ly' to 'full' in English.

Placement for Emphasis

You usually place 'plenamente' right after the verb it describes, or right before an adjective to make the meaning stronger.

Using 'lleno' for 'fully'

Mistake:Estoy lleno de acuerdo.

Correction: Estoy plenamente de acuerdo.

Completely vs. Totally

Learners often confuse 'completamente' and 'totalmente' as they are very similar and frequently interchangeable. While both mean 'completely' or 'totally', 'completamente' can sometimes imply a more absolute state of completion, whereas 'totalmente' is a very strong, general-purpose intensifier.

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