solo curiosidad
/solo kuɾjosidad/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'just curious' is translated as solo curiosidad.
The phrase is used to indicate that a question is being asked out of genuine interest rather than because of a specific reason or suspicion. Other ways to express this sentiment include the very common and natural phrase por pura curiosidad (out of pure curiosity), the informal Por simple curiosidad (out of sheer curiosity) or the informal Nada más por saber (nothing more, just to know).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase solo curiosidad is a literal translation of 'only curiosity'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the preposition 'por' to create solo por curiosidad makes the phrase sound more grammatically complete in most Spanish-speaking contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/solo kuɾjosidad/
Did you know?
- The word curiosidad is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'cure'. Both stem from the Latin 'cura', meaning 'care' or 'attention'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, asking a question followed by solo por curiosidad can be used as a social softener to avoid appearing intrusive or nosy.
- The phrase nada más por saber shifts the focus from the feeling of 'curiosity' to the act of 'knowing'. It is a highly common colloquial alternative that avoids the noun curiosidad entirely.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, solo por curiosidad, ¿cuándo planea lanzar el nuevo producto al mercado?Excuse me, just out of curiosity, when do you plan to launch the new product to the market?
Example conversation
Sofía asks Mateo about his weekend plans.
- Sofía¿Vas a viajar este fin de semana?Are you traveling this weekend?
- MateoSí, voy a visitar a mi familia.Yes, I am going to visit my family.
- SofíaAh, entiendo. Solo curiosidad.Oh, I see. Just curious.
- MateoEstá bien, Sofía.That's fine, Sofía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries curiosidad, solo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
