Más o menos
/mas o menos/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I am so-so" is expressed as Más o menos.
The phrase is used to express that a situation or one's well-being is mediocre or neither good nor bad.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Más o menos literally translates to "more or less".
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike in English, where you might say "I am so-so", in Spanish you can use Más o menos as a standalone response to the question "¿Cómo estás?" without needing a verb.
How do you pronounce it?
/mas o menos/
Did you know?
- If you use Más o menos with a specific dry or heavy tone, it can transform from a neutral statement of quality into a sarcastic way to say 'not at all'.
- Using Más o menos as a response to a greeting can be interpreted as an invitation for the other person to ask what is wrong.
- The word más comes from the Latin word magis, which is the same root that gave English the word 'master'.
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo estás? – Estoy más o menos.How are you? – I am so-so.
- ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? – No estoy ni bien ni mal.How do you feel today? – I am neither good nor bad.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier meet at a cafe.
- ElenaHola Javier, ¿cómo te sientes?Hi Javier, how are you feeling?
- JavierLa verdad, estoy más o menos.To be honest, I am so-so.
- Elena¿Estás enfermo o cansado?Are you sick or tired?
- JavierSolo estoy un poco cansado.I am just a little tired.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries menos, más, o, CC BY-SA 4.0.
