Home / Words / Little words

🧩Little words

Adverbs, prepositions, connectors — small words that carry the sentence.

All 166 little words

Two axes, and they are independent. MEANING is what the word does — position, time, comparison. PART OF SPEECH is how a language happens to build it, and for one and the same meaning that differs by language: “than” is a conjunction in English, a postposition in Hindi and a case ending in Georgian. A word can carry more than one meaning-tag, because plenty of them genuinely do both jobs.

By meaning

By part of speech

Showing 166 of 166 words — no filter

Concept	English	Français	Español
now adverb	now This moment. After 'want' it presses: 'I want to fix it now' is nearly a request.	maintenant Literally 'main tenant' — hand-holding, i.e. at hand.	ahora Ahorita (Mexico) = in a moment… or never.
then (next) adverb	then	puis also: ensuite, alors (at that time / so)	luego also: entonces, después
yesterday adverb	yesterday	hier One syllable. Avant-hier = the day before yesterday.	ayer Anteayer = the day before yesterday.
today adverb	today By default still ahead: 'I want to fix it today' means before the day is out.	aujourd'hui Historically 'au jour d'hui' — 'on the day of today'; hui alone meant today (Latin hodie).	hoy Latin hodie → hoy. Same root as French hui.
tomorrow adverb	tomorrow	demain Après-demain = the day after tomorrow.	mañana Also 'morning' (la mañana): mañana por la mañana = tomorrow morning. Pasado mañana = the day after tomorrow.
always adverb	always	toujours Also 'still': il est toujours là.	siempre
never adverb	never	jamais Needs ne: je ne sais jamais. Alone it can mean 'ever'.	nunca also: jamás No … nunca when it follows the verb.
often adverb	often The t is usually silent.	souvent	a menudo also: con frecuencia, muchas veces
sometimes adverb	sometimes	parfois also: quelquefois, des fois (informal)	a veces
soon adverb	soon Vague, and a promise of sorts: it says it is coming, not when.	bientôt À bientôt = see you soon.	pronto Hasta pronto = see you soon.
already adverb	already	déjà Déjà vu — 'already seen'.	ya Also 'now', 'right away', and a filler: ya, ya.
still / yet adverb	still also: yet (in negatives/questions)	encore Also 'again' and 'more': encore un peu.	todavía also: aún
early adverb	early	tôt	temprano
late adverb	late	tard Final d silent. En retard = late (for something).	tarde Also 'afternoon' (la tarde).
before preposition · time	before Preposition (before noon), conjunction (before I go) and adverb (I've been here before) — one word, three jobs.	avant avant midi. Before a verb it needs de: avant de partir.	antes de The de is obligatory before a noun or infinitive: antes de comer.
after preposition · time	after Preposition, conjunction and adverb again, exactly like before.	après après le déjeuner. Après avoir mangé for 'after eating' — a past infinitive.	después de Needs de, like antes de.
since / for preposition · time	since since + a point in time, for + a duration. Almost no other language here splits them.	depuis Does BOTH: depuis lundi, depuis trois ans. And it takes the present tense — j'habite ici depuis dix ans, not the past.	desde desde hace tres años for a duration — Spanish adds hace.
during preposition · time	during during the film. For a duration you want 'for', which is a different word again.	pendant pendant le film. Also does English 'for': j'ai attendu pendant une heure.	durante Both senses, like French.
first / first of all adverb · time	first First of all is the emphatic version, used to open a list.	d'abord Opens a sequence: d'abord… ensuite… enfin. Learners reach for premièrement, which is far stiffer.	primero As an adverb it does not agree — primero, then primero que nada for emphasis.
finally / at last adverb · time	finally Closes a list, or marks relief. 'At last' is only the relief sense.	enfin Closes a sequence AND expresses exasperation: enfin ! Both nasal vowels are different.	por fin The relief sense; finalmente closes a list.
right away / at once adverb · time	right away Immediately is the formal one; right away and straight away are what people say.	tout de suite Said as one word, /tutswit/ — the de all but disappears.	enseguida Written as one word now; it was en seguida.
formerly / in the old days adverb · time	formerly Stiff. 'In the old days' or 'back then' is what anyone actually says.	autrefois 'Other times'. Jadis is the literary one and naguère means something subtly different — 'not long ago'.	antiguamente Formal; antes on its own carries it in speech.
once / one time adverb · time	once One word for 'one time'. Almost nowhere else does that — everyone else counts.	une fois fois is a COUNTER for occurrences, and it is obligatory. Il était une fois = 'once upon a time'.	una vez vez is the same kind of counter. Érase una vez opens the stories.
from time to time adverb · time	from time to time 'Now and then' and 'every so often' are the shorter ones.	de temps en temps The liaison makes it /tɑ̃zɑ̃tɑ̃/. De temps à autre is the tidier written version.	de vez en cuando 'From time in when' — it stopped parsing centuries ago.
every time adverb · time	every time Each time is the same thing, slightly more deliberate.	chaque fois À chaque fois with the preposition is just as common and means no more.	cada vez cada vez que + verb. Cada vez más = 'more and more'.
constantly / non-stop adverb · time	constantly 'All the time' and 'non-stop' are the spoken versions.	sans cesse cesse is a noun that survives almost nowhere else — sans cesse and sans arrêt keep it alive.	sin cesar With the INFINITIVE where French uses the noun. Sin parar is commoner.
next / and then adverb · time	next Then does the same job and is vaguer about the order.	ensuite The middle of the sequence: d'abord… ensuite… enfin. Puis is the shorter, looser one.	luego Also 'later', and in Mexico 'luego luego' means 'right away' — the opposite.
later adverb · time	later also: later on Vague: later today or some other time. 'See you later' promises nothing — often a polite 'not now'.	plus tard also: tout à l'heure (later today) Plus tard can be any time. Tout à l'heure is the same day only — and it points BOTH ways: je le fais tout à l'heure = in a while; je l'ai vu tout à l'heure = a little while ago.	más tarde also: luego, después Luego is the spoken one in Spain (hasta luego = see you). Después = afterwards.
in a moment / in a bit adverb · time	in a moment also: in a bit, in a sec, in a minute Minutes away, and it sounds like a promise — nearer than 'later', vaguer than 'right away'. 'In a minute' rarely means sixty seconds. 'In a bit' is looser: within the hour, probably, and nobody is holding you to it.	dans un instant also: dans une minute, tout à l'heure (later today) Dans un instant / dans une minute = minutes away. Tout à l'heure stretches to a few hours, still today; tout de suite is right now.	en un momento also: ahora (Spain: 'ahora voy'), ahorita (Mexico), ahora mismo In Spain 'ahora' alone often means in a moment: ahora te llamo = I'll call you in a sec. Mexican ahorita can mean right now, in a moment — or, with a smile, never. Ahora mismo = this very minute.
in a few minutes adverb · time	in a few minutes 'In' = from now: in five minutes. 'After five minutes' is about the past or a sequence — a common slip. Near and nearly measurable: a number, however loose.	dans quelques minutes Dans = from now (dans cinq minutes); en = how long it takes (en cinq minutes).	en unos minutos also: dentro de unos minutos Dentro de is the precise 'from now'; plain en is what people say.
this morning adverb · time	this morning No preposition. Used about the future, it means later this morning.	ce matin	esta mañana Mañana alone is tomorrow; mañana por la mañana = tomorrow morning.
this afternoon adverb · time	this afternoon	cet après-midi Cet before a vowel. Après-midi can be masculine or feminine; masculine is usual.	esta tarde La tarde runs from lunch until dark, so it covers early evening too. Tarde alone = late.
this evening / tonight adverb · time	tonight also: this evening Tonight covers the evening AND the night; 'this evening' stops at bedtime.	ce soir Ce soir = this evening, when you're awake. Cette nuit = while sleeping — and, in the morning, LAST night.	esta noche Spanish has no separate evening word: once it's dark it's noche, before that tarde.
the day after tomorrow adverb · time	the day after tomorrow Five words where every neighbour has one or two.	après-demain	pasado mañana 'Past tomorrow'.
in a few days adverb · time	in a few days also: in a couple of days	dans quelques jours	en unos días also: dentro de unos días
this weekend adverb · time	this weekend UK stresses the END, US the WEEK. 'At the weekend' (UK) / 'on the weekend' (US).	ce week-end Borrowed from English; Quebec prefers la fin de semaine.	este fin de semana also: este finde (Spain, colloquial)
next week adverb · time	next week No 'the', no preposition: see you next week. Definite but wide — any of seven days.	la semaine prochaine Prochaine AFTER the noun = the calendar week after this one. La prochaine semaine = the next week in a sequence, or the coming seven days.	la semana que viene also: la próxima semana 'The week that is coming' — the most natural in speech.
next month adverb · time	next month	le mois prochain	el mes que viene also: el próximo mes
next year adverb · time	next year	l'année prochaine also: l'an prochain Both are everyday; l'an prochain is a touch shorter and punchier.	el año que viene also: el próximo año Mind the tilde: año = year, ano = anus.
at some point / sometime adverb · time	at some point also: sometime Vague, not soon. Sometime (one word) = at some point; sometimes = now and then — easy to mix up. Non-committal: it will happen, but nobody is pressing for a date.	à un moment donné also: un de ces jours Vague and undated. Un de ces jours ('one of these days') sounds a little nearer, and friendlier.	en algún momento also: algún día
one day / someday adverb · time	one day also: someday A wish more than a plan — maybe never. 'One of these days' is closer and a bit impatient.	un jour also: un jour ou l'autre Un jour ou l'autre = sooner or later, with more conviction.	algún día also: un día de estos (soon-ish)
eventually / in the end adverb · time	eventually Means 'in the end, after a while' — NOT 'possibly'. False friend for every neighbour: fr éventuellement, es eventualmente, de eventuell, it eventualmente all mean 'possibly, if need be'. No date, and yet it WILL happen: a promise you mean but cannot schedule.	tôt ou tard also: à la longue, à terme (formal), finalement (in the end) Éventuellement is a false friend: it means 'possibly, if need be'. 'Eventually' in English is tôt ou tard, à la longue, or finalement for a past outcome.	tarde o temprano also: a la larga, al final (in the end) 'Late or early' — the reverse order of English and French. Eventualmente = possibly, occasionally — a false friend.
here adverb	here	ici	aquí also: acá (Latin America)
there adverb	there also: over there	là also: là-bas (over there) Accent distinguishes it from la (the).	allí also: ahí (near you), allá (over there) Three distances: aquí / ahí / allí.
above / upstairs adverb	above also: up, upstairs	au-dessus also: en haut	arriba also: encima
below / downstairs adverb	below also: down, downstairs	en dessous also: en bas	abajo also: debajo
inside adverb	inside	dedans also: à l'intérieur	dentro also: adentro
outside adverb	outside	dehors The h is silent but 'aspirated': no liaison — le dehors.	fuera also: afuera
in front / ahead adverb	in front also: ahead	devant	delante also: adelante, enfrente (opposite)
behind adverb	behind	derrière	detrás also: atrás
everywhere adverb	everywhere	partout	en todas partes also: por todos lados
nowhere adverb	nowhere	nulle part Needs ne: je ne vais nulle part.	en ninguna parte
far adverb	far	loin	lejos
near / nearby adverb	near also: nearby, close by	près also: près de (near to), tout près	cerca Also a noun: 'fence'.
(to the) left adverb	left	à gauche	a la izquierda izquierda is Basque (ezkerra) — one of the few Basque words in Spanish; Latin sinistra was avoided as unlucky.
(to the) right adverb	right	à droite	a la derecha
on / on top of preposition · position	on on the table. Also 'about' (a book on birds) and a hundred other jobs — English prepositions are overloaded.	sur sur la table. Never 'sur' for 'about a topic' in speech — that is au sujet de.	en also: sobre en la mesa is the everyday one; sobre is more literally 'on top of'. Spanish en covers both 'in' and 'on'.
under / below preposition · position	under under the table. Beneath and below are the bookish ones.	sous sous la table. The s is silent, so it sounds exactly like the start of soupe.	debajo de Needs the de: debajo DE la mesa. Bajo alone is more abstract — bajo presión.
in / inside preposition · position	in in the box. English splits in/on/at where most languages here use fewer.	dans dans la boîte — physical containment. EN is the abstract one: en France, en été.	en Does the work of in, on AND at. Spanish simply does not make the distinction.
between preposition · position	between between two things; among is for more than two, though nobody enforces it.	entre entre nous — 'between ourselves'.	entre Also does 'among'. Entre tú y yo takes subject pronouns, not object ones.
against preposition · position	against Both physical (leaning against) and hostile (against the law).	contre Both senses, same as English. Par contre = 'on the other hand'.	contra En contra de is the fuller form for opposition.
towards preposition · position	towards toward without the s in American English; the meaning is identical.	vers vers la gare. Also 'around' with a time: vers midi.	hacia Silent h. Stress on the first a — HA-cia, not ha-CI-a.
next to / beside preposition · position	next to Beside is the one-word version; besides means something else entirely.	à côté de Literally 'at the side of'. Côté is a noun, which is why de follows.	al lado de 'At the side of' — the same construction, part for part.
around preposition · position	around Encircling, and also 'approximately' — around ten o'clock.	autour de autour de la table. For 'approximately' French uses environ or vers instead.	alrededor de One long word from al + rededor.
as far as / until preposition · position, time	as far as Space; 'until' does the same job for time. Most languages here use one word for both.	jusqu'à Both space and time: jusqu'à Paris, jusqu'à demain. Elides to jusqu'.	hasta Both too. Hasta luego is literally 'until later'.
over there adverb · position	over there English has two degrees of 'there'; Spanish has three.	là-bas là is 'there', là-bas is 'over there, yonder' — further off and usually pointed at.	allá Spanish runs three: aquí (by me), ahí (by you), allí/allá (away from both).
in the middle adverb · position	in the middle In the middle OF something; in the middle alone is the adverb.	au milieu au milieu de + noun. Milieu on its own is also 'environment' and 'the underworld'.	en medio en medio de la calle.
in / to (a country, a month) preposition	in in France, in July, in summer. One word for all of it, which is not the norm.	en en France, en juillet, en été — but AU for masculine countries (au Japon, au Portugal) and À for cities (à Paris). Three words where everyone else has one, and dans is for physical containment only: dans la boîte, never dans la France.	en en Francia, en julio, en verano. Spanish uses the same en for containment too.
somewhere adverb	somewhere The third of some-one, some-thing, some-where. Anywhere is again the question-and-negative twin.	quelque part 'Some part' — two words, like quelque chose.	en algún sitio Or en alguna parte, which mirrors the French exactly.
and conjunction	and Usually reduced to /ənd/ or /ən/: fish 'n' chips.	et Never liaison after et: 'et un' = /e œ̃/, not /et œ̃/.	y Becomes e before an i-/hi- sound: padre e hijo, Francia e Italia.
or conjunction	or also: either … or	ou Où (with accent) = where. Same sound, different word.	o Becomes u before an o-/ho- sound: siete u ocho, mujeres u hombres.
but conjunction	but Weak form /bət/.	mais Homophone of mes, met, mets.	pero also: sino (after a negative: no es rojo, sino azul) Perro (two r's) = dog — tap vs trill matters.
because conjunction	because also: 'cause, since, as	parce que also: car (written/formal), puisque (since) Parce qu'il… before a vowel. Answer to pourquoi.	porque One word = because; ¿por qué? (two words, accent) = why; el porqué = the reason.
so / therefore conjunction	so also: therefore, that's why	donc also: alors, du coup (very informal, everywhere now) Final c pronounced — except sometimes in 'dis donc'.	así que also: entonces, por eso, por lo tanto
if conjunction	if also: whether	si S' before il/ils only: s'il pleut (but si elle pleut). Also 'yes' to a negative question.	si Sí (accent) = yes. Si = if.
although conjunction	although also: though, even though	bien que also: même si (+ indicative), quoique Bien que + subjunctive: bien qu'il soit tard.	aunque + indicative for facts, + subjunctive for hypotheticals.
when conjunction	when also: whenever	quand also: lorsque (written) Liaison: quand il = /kɑ̃ til/.	cuando ¿Cuándo? (accent) = the question.
while conjunction	while also: whilst (UK, formal), whereas (contrast)	pendant que also: tandis que (contrast), alors que	mientras Mientras que = whereas (contrast).
however / nevertheless adverb	however also: nevertheless, still, yet	cependant also: pourtant, toutefois, néanmoins	sin embargo also: no obstante, aun así Nothing to do with a trade embargo — 'without hindrance'.
for example phrase	for example also: for instance, e.g.	par exemple Abbreviation p. ex. 'Non mais par exemple !' = well I never!	por ejemplo Abbreviation p. ej.
that (I think that…) conjunction	that Usually dropped: I think (that) it's late. Weak form /ðət/.	que NEVER dropped: je pense qu'il est tard. Qu' before a vowel.	que Never dropped: creo que es tarde. Qué (accent) = what / how.
in order to / to preposition	in order to also: to, so as to	pour also: afin de (formal) Pour + infinitive: je travaille pour vivre.	para Para + infinitive = purpose. Por = cause/exchange — the por/para chapter of every textbook.
nevertheless / still adverb · logic	nevertheless Formal. 'Still' and 'even so' do the same job in speech.	néanmoins Formal and written. Quand même is what people actually say.	no obstante Formal; aun así is the spoken one.
on the other hand adverb · logic	on the other hand Pairs with 'on the one hand', though most people skip the first half.	en revanche Revanche is 'revenge' — the phrase has nothing to do with it any more. Par contre is the everyday one and was once considered wrong.	en cambio Cambio is 'change'.
thus / that way adverb · logic, manner	thus Formal to the point of stiffness. 'That way' or 'so' in speech.	ainsi Both 'thus' and 'in this way'. Ainsi de suite = 'and so on'.	así Completely ordinary in Spanish, unlike English 'thus'. Así es = 'that's right'.
indeed / in fact adverb · logic	indeed Confirms rather than contrasts — the opposite job from 'however'.	en effet Confirms what was just said. NOT 'in effect' — that trap catches every English speaker.	en efecto Same job, same false friend.
and yet / even so adverb	and yet 'Yet' alone at the head of a clause. English marks the surprise with intonation rather than with a word.	pourtant Not the same as cependant. Pourtant marks SURPRISE that the two things sit together: il pleut, pourtant il sort. Cependant is neutral about it.	sin embargo Spanish does not grammaticalise the surprise — sin embargo covers pourtant and cependant alike.
so / then / in that case adverb	so The conversational opener, not the logical connective. 'So, shall we?'	alors Three jobs at once: consequence, time, and filler. Alors, on y va ? Donc is the strictly logical one and cannot open a sentence this way.	entonces The same three jobs, including the filler: entonces… ¿qué hacemos?
on the contrary adverb	on the contrary It CORRECTS rather than merely contrasts — it says the opposite of what was just claimed is true.	au contraire Stands alone as a complete rebuttal. Bien au contraire turns it up.	al contrario Todo lo contrario is the emphatic version.
since / as (given that) conjunction	since 'Since you're here.' It presents the reason as ALREADY KNOWN, where 'because' presents it as news. Also the time word, confusingly.	puisque Puisque gives a reason the listener already accepts; parce que gives new information. Answer the question pourquoi ? and it must be parce que — puisque there is wrong.	ya que Also puesto que and dado que, both heavier. Porque is the plain 'because'.
as soon as conjunction · time	as soon as English uses the PRESENT for a future event — 'as soon as I finish'. Almost nothing else on this list does.	dès que Takes the FUTURE where English takes the present: dès que j'aurai fini. Same for quand, lorsque and aussitôt que — French is logical about it and English is not.	en cuanto Takes the SUBJUNCTIVE for anything not yet real: en cuanto llegue, not llega.
unless conjunction	unless One word for 'if not'. Several languages here have no such word.	à moins que Subjunctive, and usually with the ne explétif: à moins qu'il ne vienne. That ne does NOT negate — it is a leftover, and dropping it is fine in speech.	a menos que Subjunctive, always. A no ser que is the other one.
whereas / while (contrast) conjunction	whereas Contrast, not time. English also uses 'while' for this, which is why 'while I was cooking' is ambiguous between the two.	tandis que Here French is MORE precise than English: pendant que is time only, tandis que is contrast. Alors que does the same contrastive job.	mientras que One word of difference: mientras alone is time, mientras QUE is contrast.
anyway / in any case adverb	anyway It closes a digression, or it dismisses an objection — two quite different jobs done by one word.	de toute façon Or de toute manière. To close a digression specifically: bref, or enfin bref.	de todos modos Also de todas formas. En fin closes the digression.
well adverb	well Adjective is good: he plays well, not 'he plays good' (though speech does it).	bien Adjective is bon. Très bien = very good/well.	bien Adjective is bueno. Está bien = it's fine / okay.
badly adverb	badly	mal Pas mal = not bad — which usually means 'pretty good'.	mal Adjective is malo, adverb mal: canta mal. Menos mal = thank goodness.
fast / quickly adverb	fast also: quickly Same form as the adjective — never 'fastly'.	vite Vite is the adverb, rapide the adjective: il conduit vite, une voiture rapide.	rápido also: rápidamente, deprisa Word-initial r is the trilled /r/.
slowly adverb	slowly	lentement -ment adverbs build on the feminine: lente + -ment.	despacio also: lentamente Más despacio, por favor — the phrase every learner needs first.
together adverb	together	ensemble Also the noun 'ensemble' — a whole, an outfit.	juntos Agrees: juntas for an all-female group.
alone adverb	alone also: on my own, by myself	seul Agrees: seule, seuls, seules. Tout seul = all alone / all by oneself.	solo Agrees: sola. Same word as 'only' — the adverb used to be written sólo.
carefully adverb	carefully	prudemment also: soigneusement (with care), attentivement -emment is pronounced -amment. Fais attention ! = be careful!	con cuidado also: cuidadosamente ¡Cuidado! alone = watch out!
loudly adverb	loudly also: out loud	fort Parler fort = to speak loudly. Also 'strong'. À voix haute = out loud.	alto Hablar alto. Also 'tall/high'. En voz alta = out loud.
quietly adverb	quietly Quiet ≠ quite — one letter, different word.	doucement also: à voix basse (in a low voice) From doux 'soft' — also 'gently' and 'slowly': doucement !	en voz baja also: bajito, tranquilamente
suddenly adverb	suddenly	tout à coup also: soudain, tout d'un coup Liaison glues it into one word: /tutaku/.	de repente also: de pronto
again adverb	again Also /əˈɡeɪn/ for many speakers — both fine.	encore also: de nouveau, à nouveau Same word as 'still' and 'more' — context decides. Encore une fois = one more time.	otra vez also: de nuevo Or volver a + infinitive: vuelvo a empezar = I start again.
like this / this way adverb	like this also: this way, like that	comme ça Comme ci comme ça = so-so. C'est comme ça = that's how it is.	así Así así = so-so. Así es = that's right.
on purpose / deliberately adverb · manner	on purpose Deliberately is the formal one. 'Purposely' and 'purposefully' mean different things and are constantly swapped.	exprès Final s silent. Not the same word as express — that is exprès with a different stress and meaning.	a propósito Also means 'by the way' when it opens a sentence.
patiently adverb · manner	patiently The -ly suffix is English's only productive adverb-maker.	patiemment Spelled -emment, said /amɑ̃/. Adjectives in -ent take -emment, those in -ant take -amment, and both sound identical.	pacientemente -mente on the FEMININE adjective. It keeps the adjective's own stress, so these words have two.
fortunately / luckily adverb · manner	fortunately Comments on the whole sentence rather than on the verb — a different job from 'patiently'.	heureusement From heureux 'happy'. The opposite is malheureusement, which is much longer and much more used.	afortunadamente Por suerte is the short everyday one.
keenly / eagerly adverb · manner	keenly Sharply, eagerly. English has no single word covering the French idiom below.	vivement From vif 'lively'. And it has a second life as an exclamation: vivement les vacances ! — 'roll on the holidays'.	vivamente
warmly / in a friendly way adverb · manner	warmly 'Kind regards' is what you write; warmly is what you do.	amicalement From ami. It is also the standard sign-off on a letter to a friend — one notch warmer than cordialement, several below affectueusement.	cordialmente From the Latin for 'heart', like English cordial.
kindly adverb · manner	kindly Careful — 'kindly do X' is not kind at all; it is a rebuke.	gentiment IRREGULAR. gentil should give gentillement and does not — it gives gentiment. One of a tiny handful of exceptions.	amablemente -mente on the feminine adjective, entirely regular.
obviously / clearly adverb · manner	obviously Watch the tone: it can mean 'as anyone can see' or 'as you evidently cannot'.	évidemment -emment, said /amɑ̃/ — exactly like patiemment. Adjectives in -ent take -emment, those in -ant take -amment, and the two are pronounced identically.	evidentemente Obviamente and claro que sí are the everyday ones.
very adverb	very	très Très bien, très vite. Beaucoup for verbs: j'aime beaucoup (never 'très aimer').	muy THE Spanish trap: muy + adjective/adverb (muy bueno), mucho + verb/noun (me gusta mucho) — never 'muy mucho'.
too / too much adverb	too Too = excessively, not 'very' — learners overuse it: 'the food is too good' sounds like a complaint. At the end of a clause it means 'also'.	trop Final p silent. In casual speech trop drifts to mean 'very': c'est trop bien ! Trop de + noun = too much/many.	demasiado Invariable before adjectives (demasiado caro); agrees before nouns: demasiadas cosas.
enough adverb	enough Follows the adjective: big enough, not 'enough big'.	assez Precedes the adjective: assez grand. Assez de + noun: assez de temps. Also 'quite': assez bien.	bastante Also 'quite a lot': habla bastante. ¡Basta! = enough!/stop it!
a little adverb	a little also: a bit	un peu Un peu de + noun: un peu de pain. Un petit peu = a tiny bit.	un poco Un poco de + noun. Poco without un = little/hardly any — the article changes the meaning.
a lot / much adverb	a lot also: much (negatives/questions), many Two words — 'alot' doesn't exist.	beaucoup Beaucoup de + noun, no article: beaucoup de gens (never 'beaucoup des gens'). Merci beaucoup.	mucho The other half of muy/mucho: mucho with verbs and nouns. Agrees: muchas gracias.
almost adverb	almost also: nearly	presque Presque fini = almost done.	casi Casi casi = very nearly / that was close.
only adverb	only also: just	seulement also: ne … que Ne … que = only, not a negative: je n'ai que dix euros = I only have ten euros.	solo also: solamente Formerly written sólo as the adverb; the accent was officially dropped. Same word as 'alone'.
quite / rather adverb	quite also: rather, fairly, pretty UK 'quite good' = only fairly good; US 'quite good' = very good. Same word, opposite strength.	assez also: plutôt Same word as 'enough': assez bien = quite good.	bastante Same word as 'enough': bastante bueno = quite good.
so / so much adverb	so So + adjective (so beautiful), so much/many + noun — not 'so much beautiful'.	si also: tellement, tant A family of three, split by what follows: SI before an adjective (si belle), TELLEMENT and TANT before a verb or a noun (il travaille tant, tant de gens). And yes, si is also 'if' and the 'yes' that answers a negative question — three words in one.	tan also: tanto Tan + adjective (tan bonito), tanto + noun/verb (tanto tiempo). Clipped from tanto.
completely adverb	completely also: totally, entirely	complètement also: tout à fait Tout à fait as a reply = 'exactly, quite right'.	completamente also: totalmente, del todo
hardly / barely adverb	hardly also: barely, scarcely Negative by itself: 'I can hardly see' needs no 'not'. And it does NOT mean 'in a hard way' — that's just 'hard'.	à peine Literally 'with pain'. Also 'only just': il vient à peine d'arriver.	apenas Also 'as soon as': apenas llegué, llamé.
more adverb · comparison	more More + long adjectives, -er + short ones: more interesting, but bigger.	plus also: davantage THE s-trap: plus with sounded s = more (j'en veux plus); plus with silent s in ne … plus = no more (je n'en veux plus). Opposite meanings. Davantage is plus without an adjective: j'en veux davantage, but never davantage grand.	más Accent matters: mas without it = 'but' (literary).
less adverb · comparison	less also: fewer (countables) Purists: fewer people, less water — supermarket signs get it 'wrong' daily.	moins Au moins = at least. Moins de + noun.	menos Al menos / por lo menos = at least.
like / as preposition · comparison	like Like + noun (like me); as + clause (as I said). Learners mix them constantly.	comme Does both jobs: comme moi AND comme j'ai dit. One word where English needs two.	como Also both. Watch the accent: cómo with one is 'how?'.
than conjunction · comparison	than One word, one job. English is unusual in having a dedicated one.	que Plus grand QUE moi. The same que as 'that' — French makes it work overtime.	que Más alto que yo. But 'more than' + a number is más DE: más de diez.
better adverb · comparison, degree	better Not 'gooder'. Suppletive — a different root entirely, and the same is true across the family.	mieux Adverb. The ADJECTIVE is meilleur — c'est mieux (it's better) vs c'est meilleur (it tastes better). French keeps them apart and learners do not.	mejor Does both jobs, unlike French: es mejor covers both senses.
as much / as many adverb · comparison, quantity	as much as much + uncountable, as many + countable. English is one of the few languages here that insists on the difference.	autant autant de + any noun — no countable/uncountable split. Tant is the same word used for emphasis: tant pis.	tanto Agrees: tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas. Tanto como = as much as.
also / too adverb · comparison	also also mid-sentence, too at the end. 'Me too', never 'me also'.	aussi Moi aussi. It is also the 'as' of comparison: aussi grand que moi.	también Yo también. The negative counterpart is tampoco — 'me neither'.
the opposite noun · comparison	the opposite 'The opposite of' — and 'on the contrary' when you are correcting someone.	le contraire Au contraire is the fixed phrase for contradicting: 'on the contrary'.	lo contrario The lo is the neuter article — it makes an abstraction out of an adjective.
likewise / in the same way adverb · comparison	likewise Formal. In speech it is 'same here', or 'you too' when it is a reply.	de même De même que + clause is 'just as'. Moi de même is what you say back — 'same here'.	igualmente And this is the REFLEX: say ¡buen provecho! and igualmente comes back at you automatically. Asimismo is the written one.
what pronoun	what	que also: qu'est-ce que … ?, quoi (after prepositions / alone) Que up front, quoi after prepositions (avec quoi ?). Bare 'Quoi ?' is blunt — 'Comment ?' is the polite pardon.	qué Accent ONLY as question/exclamation: ¿qué? but que = that. ¡Qué bonito! = how pretty!
who pronoun	who also: whom (object, formal) Whom survives mostly after prepositions: to whom.	qui also: qui est-ce qui … ? Qui never elides: qui est là ? (never qu'est).	quién Accent only as a question. Plural quiénes: ¿quiénes son?
where adverb	where	où also: où est-ce que … ? The grave accent only distinguishes it from ou 'or' — the only French word with ù.	dónde also: adónde (where to) Accent only as question: ¿dónde? vs donde = where (relative).
when adverb	when	quand also: quand est-ce que … ? Liaison with a t: quand est-ce = /kɑ̃tɛs/.	cuándo Accent only as question: ¿cuándo? vs cuando = when (conjunction).
why adverb	why	pourquoi Literally 'for what'. Answered by parce que.	por qué Two words + accent = why; porque (one word) = because; el porqué = the reason. Four spellings, one sound family.
how adverb	how	comment Comment ? alone = pardon? Comment ça va ?	cómo Accent only as question: ¿cómo? vs como = as/like. ¿Cómo? = pardon?
how much / how many adverb	how much also: how many (countables)	combien Combien de + noun: combien de temps ? C'est combien ? = how much is it?	cuánto Agrees: cuánta, cuántos, cuántas. ¿Cuánto cuesta? = how much does it cost?
which pronoun	which	quel Agrees on paper — quel, quelle, quels, quelles — but all four sound identical. Lequel = which one.	cuál Plural cuáles. Before ser use cuál, not qué: ¿cuál es tu nombre?
whose pronoun	whose Not who's (= who is) — the apostrophe trap natives fail.	à qui À qui est ce livre ? = whose book is this? As a relative, use dont: l'homme dont…	de quién ¿De quién es esto? Cuyo = whose as a relative — formal, fading in speech.
where to adverb	where (to) English had whither and lost it. Now the preposition strands at the end, if it appears at all: where are you going (to)?	où The same word as 'where'. French lost the distinction too — only the verb tells you: où vas-tu ? against où es-tu ?	adónde Spanish KEPT it: dónde is where, adónde is where to. ¿Adónde vas?
where from adverb	where from Whence is dead. 'Where are you from?' strands the preposition at the end, which no other language here does.	d'où de + où, elided. D'où viens-tu ?	de dónde ¿De dónde eres? — the first question anyone asks you.
right? / isn't it? phrase	right? English has no fixed tag — it CONJUGATES one to match the verb: isn't it, doesn't he, won't they, hasn't she. Nearly unique, and a genuine burden on learners. 'Right?' and 'yeah?' are the escape hatches.	hein ? n'est-ce pas ? is the textbook form and sounds written. Speech uses hein ?, non ?, or just a rising tone.	¿verdad? ¿No? is shorter and commoner. ¿Vale? checks agreement rather than fact.
what kind of determiner	what kind of Three words. 'What sort of' is the same thing.	quel genre de quel agrees: quel/quelle/quels/quelles. Quelle sorte de is identical in use.	qué tipo de Also qué clase de.
all pronoun	all	tout THE agreement set: tout /tu/, toute /tut/, tous /tu/, toutes /tut/ — and tous as a pronoun sounds its s: ils sont tous là /tus/.	todo Agrees: toda, todos, todas. Todo el día = all day; todos los días = every day.
everything pronoun	everything	tout C'est tout = that's all. Tout va bien = everything's fine.	todo Same word as 'all': todo está bien.
nothing pronoun	nothing	rien Ne … rien: je ne vois rien. De rien = you're welcome.	nada No … nada after the verb — the double negative is correct Spanish. De nada = you're welcome.
everyone pronoun	everyone also: everybody Singular verb: everyone is here.	tout le monde Literally 'all the world' — singular verb: tout le monde est là.	todo el mundo also: todos Also 'all the world', also singular: todo el mundo lo sabe.
nobody pronoun	nobody also: no one	personne The trap: une personne = a person, but bare personne with ne = nobody. Il n'y a personne = there's nobody.	nadie No … nadie after the verb: no hay nadie.
many / much determiner	many also: much (uncountables) Much lives mostly in questions and negatives: not much time.	beaucoup de Always de, never des: beaucoup de gens, beaucoup d'eau.	mucho Agrees: mucha gente, muchos años, muchas gracias.
few / little determiner	few also: little (uncountables) A few = some (positive); few = hardly any (negative). The article flips the meaning — and no other language here does it that way. French just uses two different words: peu de against quelques.	peu de Same flip: un peu de = a little (positive); peu de = little/few (negative).	poco Agrees: poca, pocos, pocas. Un poco de = a little.
some determiner	some Weak form /səm/. Any in questions/negatives: do you have any?	des also: quelques, du / de la (uncountables) French demands an article where English drops it: j'ai des amis, je mange du pain.	algunos also: unos Often simply omitted: tengo amigos. Algún before a masculine singular: algún día.
every / each determiner	every also: each Always singular: every day, each one.	chaque Invariable, always singular: chaque jour. The pronoun is chacun/chacune = each one.	cada Invariable: cada día, cada semana. Cada vez más = more and more. Plural 'every' = todos los: todos los días.
other / another determiner	other also: another Another is just an + other fused — hence only with singulars.	autre Un autre / une autre; plural d'autres. L'autre jour = the other day.	otro NEVER 'un otro' — bare otro already means another: otra cerveza, por favor.
the same adjective · comparison	the same Always with the: the same thing. Same here = me too (informal).	le même Agrees: la même, les mêmes. Watch out: même alone also = 'even' (même moi) and quand même = all the same/still.	el mismo Agrees: la misma, los mismos… Ahora mismo = right now; yo mismo = I myself.
both pronoun	both	les deux also: tous les deux No single word — literally 'the two': j'aime les deux.	ambos also: los dos Feminine ambas. Los dos is the everyday choice; ambos is a notch more formal.
half noun	half pl. halves Silent l; the plural swaps f for v.	moitiéf La moitié = the half (noun); the prefix is demi-: une demi-heure.	mitadf La mitad = the half; the adjective is medio/media: media hora.
with preposition · quantity	with Accompaniment and instrument in one word — 'with my friend' and 'with a knife'.	avec Both senses, and the c is pronounced.	con Fuses with pronouns: conmigo, contigo — 'with me', 'with you'.
without preposition · quantity	without 'Without' + -ing: without saying anything.	sans sans + bare infinitive: sans rien dire. And no article after it — sans voiture, not sans une voiture.	sin Also drops the article: sin coche.
no / none / not any determiner · quantity	no also: none No + noun (no money); none on its own (I have none).	aucun Needs ne: je n'ai aucune idée. Agrees — aucun/aucune — and is almost always singular.	ningún Also needs a second negative: no tengo ninguna idea. Spanish stacks negatives happily.
someone / somebody pronoun	someone someone and somebody are interchangeable. ANYONE is the question-and-negative counterpart, and most of these languages do not split the two.	quelqu'un The same quelque as quelque chose and quelques. Feminine quelqu'une exists and is rare.	alguien Pairs with nadie. Invariable — unlike alguno, which agrees.
something pronoun	something And anything is again the question-and-negative twin.	quelque chose Two words, 'some thing' — and it is MASCULINE even though chose is feminine: quelque chose de bon.	algo Pairs with nada. One syllable and enormously common.
several / a few determiner	several More than a couple, fewer than many. English is unusually precise about this middle band.	plusieurs Invariable, and it takes NO de: plusieurs livres, never plusieurs de livres.	varios Agrees: varios/varias.
most / the majority determiner	most Suppletive: many, more, most — three unrelated roots, as in good/better/best.	la plupart 'The most part'. It takes a PLURAL verb despite being singular: la plupart des gens sont d'accord.	la mayoría 'The majority' — Spanish uses a noun where English uses a determiner.