en general
/en xeneˈɾal/
The phrase "in general" in Spanish is en general.
en general is used as a prepositional phrase meaning "generally". It is usually placed at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
Meaning: generally (prep_phrase)
Which one should you use?
While en general means "in general", the phrase Por lo general is used to mean "generally" or "usually".
How do you pronounce it?
/en xeneˈɾal/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word general can act as a noun for a high-ranking military officer. This creates the linguistic paradox where a sentence like El general está en general is grammatically correct but logically nonsensical.
- The word general in Spanish shares the same Latin root as the English 'genus', meaning 'kind' or 'type'.
- Native Spanish speakers often choose the phrase en general over the adverb generalmente to avoid the repetitive sound of the -mente suffix. This is common when other adverbs ending in -mente are already present in the sentence.
Examples in context
- En general las cosas están bien.In general, things are all right.This sentence shows how to use en general to describe a general state of affairs.Tatoeba #2253889 by cueyayotl, translation #2253860 by _undertoad
- En general, las niñas pequeñas adoran las muñecas.In general, little girls are fond of dolls.This example demonstrates using en general to describe general preferences.Tatoeba #10012166 by manufrutos, translation #27304 by CS
- A las niñas pequeñas en general les gustan las muñecas.Little girls in general are fond of dolls.This example shows the placement of en general within a sentence.Tatoeba #2110247 by marcelostockle, translation #267528 by CM
- En general, la comida española es deliciosa.In general, Spanish food is delicious.
- Por lo general, las reuniones de negocios empiezan a tiempo.Generally, business meetings start on time.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are discussing their experience at a new restaurant.
- AlejandroLa comida estuvo rica, ¿no crees?The food was delicious, don't you think?
- SofíaSí, en general todo me gustó mucho.Yes, in general I liked everything a lot.
- Alejandro¿Y qué te pareció el servicio?And what did you think of the service?
- SofíaFue un poco lento, pero amable.It was a bit slow, but friendly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “in general” translations and entries en general, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, general, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
