Ch 44 · Lesson 16Spanish · Chapter 44 · Lesson 16 · Grammar primer
Downtoners: un poco, más bien, medio, bastante
Turning it down: (a bit), (not very), (rather), (half), and why is fairly, not very.
The short version
.
Why?Hide
English quite can mean very (quite amazing). Spanish sits lower on the ladder, nearer fairly or reasonably, so is a moderate compliment rather than praise. For the strong English quite, use or an -ísimo form. also doubles as enough, as in .
is a bit
.
Why?Hide
softens a quality: (it's a bit expensive). on its own turns it negative: (it's unlikely). means half and does not change before an adjective: dormida.
Turning it down: un poco, más bien, medio
English speakers underuse these and sound blunter than they mean to:
| Downtoner | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
. | I'm a bit tired. | |
. | The soup's slightly cold. | |
. | He's rather shy. | |
. | She's half asleep. | |
. | He/she hardly speaks. | |
| no | . | Not very far. |
goes mostly with qualities you do not like. on its own ( ) turns the adjective negative:
.- He's a bit serious..- He's not very serious (unreliable).
before an adjective means half and does not change in standard Spanish: , not " ".
A word on bastante
is fairly, not very. is a moderate compliment:
.- It's pretty good.buenísimo.- It's brilliant.
It also means enough, and then it agrees with a plural noun:
.- I haven't got enough time..- There are enough chairs.
Going further: The degree ladder at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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