adelante
/adeˈlante/
To say "come in" in Spanish, the default form is adelante.
The word adelante is used as a standalone exclamation to invite someone to enter a room or space.
Which one should you use?
While adelante is a common way to say "come in", the verb pase (the imperative of pasar) is a more direct way to tell someone to "enter" or "pass through".
How do you pronounce it?
/adeˈlante/
Did you know?
- While adelante means 'come in', it also means 'forward' or 'ahead'. It is used in the phrase seguir adelante, which means to keep going or to persevere in life.
- In some regions, adelante can be used to give someone permission to start speaking or to continue a story, similar to saying 'go ahead' in English.
- The word contains the Latin root 'ante', which is also found in the English word 'antecedent', meaning 'going before'.
Examples in context
- ¡Adelante!Come in.This example shows how to use adelante as a direct invitation.Tatoeba #2252431 by Espi, translation #348091 by Hertz
- Pasa, adelante, la puerta está abierta.Go ahead, come in, the door is open.
Example conversation
Mateo knocks on María's office door.
- María¿Quién es?Who is it?
- MateoSoy Mateo, ¿puedo pasar?It's Mateo, can I come in?
- MaríaSí, adelante, Mateo.Yes, come in, Mateo.
- MateoGracias, María.Thank you, María.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry adelante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adelante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
