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How to Say "precisely" in Spanish

English → Spanish

exactamente

/ek-sak-ta-MEN-teh//eɡˈsak.taˈmen.te/

adverbA2
Use 'exactamente' when you mean 'exactly' in terms of time, quantity, or measurement, emphasizing precision.
A red square resting perfectly on top of an identical blue square, demonstrating exact alignment with no overlap.

Examples

El concierto empieza a las ocho exactamente.

The concert starts at exactly eight o'clock.

El tren llega a las seis exactamente.

The train arrives at exactly six o'clock.

Necesito exactamente cien gramos de queso.

I need exactly one hundred grams of cheese.

Esto es exactamente lo que buscaba.

This is exactly what I was looking for.

Making Adverbs with '-mente'

Many Spanish adverbs are made by adding '-mente' to the end of another word. The trick is to find the feminine form of the adjective first. For 'exacto', the feminine form is 'exacta', so you get 'exacta-mente'.

Using 'Exacto' instead of 'Exactamente'

Mistake: “El tren llega exacto a las seis.”

Correction: El tren llega exactamente a las seis. To describe *how* an action happens (arrives exactly), you need the adverb 'exactamente'. 'Exacto' is used to describe a person or thing (un resultado exacto - an exact result).

justamente

/jus-ta-MEN-te//xus.taˈmen.te/

adverbA2
Use 'justamente' to convey 'just in time,' 'right on time,' or 'precisely' when referring to a moment or circumstance.
A single dart perfectly centered in the bullseye of a simple target board, illustrating precision.

Examples

Llegué justamente a tiempo para el discurso.

I arrived precisely on time for the speech.

Llegué justamente a tiempo para ver el inicio de la película.

I arrived exactly on time to see the start of the movie.

Esa es justamente la razón por la que te llamé.

That is precisely the reason why I called you.

¿Dónde está la farmacia? Está justamente aquí, a la vuelta de la esquina.

Where is the pharmacy? It's right here, just around the corner.

Adverb Formation

Most Spanish adverbs ending in -mente are formed by adding the suffix to the feminine singular form of the adjective (justo -> justa -> justamente).

Confusing 'Just' and 'Justamente'

Mistake: “Using 'justo' instead of 'justamente' to mean 'exactly' when describing a verb's action.”

Correction: Use 'justamente' when modifying a verb (e.g., 'justamente llegué'). 'Justo' is usually an adjective or a very informal adverb for proximity.

precisamente

preh-see-sah-MEN-tay/pɾeθiˈsamente/

adverbB1
Use 'precisamente' to mean 'precisely' or 'accurately,' often used to confirm or pinpoint something specific, like a location or a reason.
A wooden square block fitting perfectly into a matching square hole on a toy board.

Examples

¿Te refieres a este libro? — Sí, precisamente este.

Are you referring to this book? — Yes, precisely this one.

¿Es aquí donde vives? — Sí, precisamente aquí.

Is this where you live? — Yes, precisely here.

Llegó precisamente cuando todos se iban.

He arrived just when everyone was leaving.

Eso es precisamente lo que habíamos acordado.

That is exactly what we had agreed upon.

Adverb Placement

'Precisamente' is flexible. It can go before the verb, after the verb, or at the start of a sentence to emphasize the whole idea.

Exactamente vs. Precisamente

Learners often confuse 'exactamente' and 'precisamente.' Remember that 'exactamente' is best for exact numbers, times, or measurements, while 'precisamente' is more for pinpointing something specific or confirming accuracy in a more general sense.

Related Translations

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