How to Say "Instead Of" in Spanish

en vez de

/em ˈbeθ de/

The Spanish phrase for "instead of" is en vez de.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase en vez de literally translates to "in place of".

A common synonym for en vez de is en lugar de, which can be used interchangeably in most contexts to mean "instead of" or "in place of".

/em ˈbeθ de/

The word vez shares a common ancestor with the English word 'vice', as in 'vice versa', which also relates to the concept of turning or changing.
English speakers often say 'instead of' followed by a noun, but in Spanish, if you use a verb after en vez de, you must always use the infinitive form.
The phrase de una vez is a common idiom that does not mean 'instead of' but rather 'all at once' or 'once and for all'.

Actúa en vez de hablar.
Act instead of talking.
Tatoeba #1233128 by marcelostockle, translation #5164812 by Zaksocool
Voy a verle yo en vez de tú.
I will go to see him instead of you.
Tatoeba #1650365 by wallebot, translation #70478 by Dejo
Tom llamó a Mary en vez de a John.
Tom called Mary instead of John.
Tatoeba #5797169 by arh, translation #1868445 by CK
Preferiría un té en lugar de café, por favor.
I would prefer tea instead of coffee, please.
Utilicé papel reciclado en vez de papel nuevo.
I used recycled paper instead of new paper.
El equipo decidió contratar a un consultor en sustitución del gerente actual.
The team decided to hire a consultant instead of the current manager.
47 more sentences on Tatoeba

María and Mateo are deciding what to eat for lunch.

Sources

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