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How to Say "rather" in Spanish

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algo

/al-go//ˈal.ɣo/

AdverbA2General
Use 'algo' when 'rather' means 'somewhat' or 'a little' to indicate a moderate degree of an adjective or adverb.
A weather thermometer with the mercury risen only a small amount, indicating it is 'somewhat' or 'a little' warm.

Examples

Estoy algo cansado hoy.

I'm a little tired today.

La película fue algo aburrida.

The movie was somewhat boring.

Llegó algo tarde a la reunión.

He arrived a bit late to the meeting.

A Word to Soften Descriptions

Place 'algo' right before a describing word (like 'big,' 'tired,' or 'expensive') to mean 'a little' or 'kind of.' It makes your description less intense than using 'muy' (very).

Don't Confuse with 'Something'

Mistake: “El café está algo.”

Correction: Say 'El café está algo caliente' (The coffee is a little hot). When 'algo' comes before a describing word, it means 'a little.' By itself, it means 'something,' which doesn't make sense here.

bastante

/bahs-TAHN-teh//basˈtante/

AdverbA2General
Use 'bastante' when 'rather' is similar in meaning to 'quite' or 'fairly', indicating a significant but not extreme degree.
A comparison showing a regular-sized red apple next to a visibly, but not excessively, larger red apple.

Examples

La película es bastante buena.

The movie is quite good.

Llegaste bastante tarde.

You arrived quite late.

Hemos trabajado bastante hoy.

We've worked a lot today.

The Form That Never Changes

When 'bastante' is used like this (to describe an action or another describing word), it's always 'bastante'. It never changes to 'bastanta' or 'bastantes'.

Using 'Muy' and 'Bastante' Together

Mistake: “La casa es muy bastante grande.”

Correction: La casa es bastante grande. (The house is quite big.) OR La casa es muy grande. (The house is very big.) You only need one of them, as they both describe 'how big'.

mejor

/me-HOR//meˈxoɾ/

AdverbB1General
Use 'mejor' when 'rather' implies a preference for an alternative action, often translated as 'we'd better' or 'it's better to'.
A person choosing a sunny path over a stormy one, illustrating the idea of choosing one thing 'rather' than another.

Examples

Está lloviendo. Mejor nos quedamos en casa.

It's raining. We'd better stay home.

No, gracias, no quiero postre. Mejor un café.

No, thanks, I don't want dessert. I'd rather have a coffee.

Mejor no hablemos de eso.

Let's not talk about that. (Literally: Better we don't talk about that.)

A Simple Suggestion

This 'mejor' often appears at the beginning of a sentence to suggest an alternative plan. It's a quick and easy way to say 'how about we do this instead?'.

Choosing between 'algo', 'bastante', and 'mejor'

Learners often confuse 'algo' and 'bastante' because both indicate degree. Remember that 'algo' implies a smaller degree ('a little'), while 'bastante' implies a larger degree ('quite'). 'Mejor' is distinct as it's used for suggestions or preferences, not for describing intensity.

Related Translations

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