o
/o/
In Spanish, o can function as a conjunction meaning 'or' or as a masculine singular suffix.
It also appears as a suffix used to denote masculine singular gender in many Spanish nouns and adjectives.
Which one should you use?
In formal writing, or when the word immediately following the conjunction begins with the sound /o/, the conjunction o changes to u to avoid cacophony.
How does it change in a sentence?
The letter o is frequently used as a suffix, specifically as -o, to denote masculine singular gender in many Spanish nouns and adjectives.
How do you pronounce it?
/o/
Did you know?
- In legal or very formal Spanish documents, you may see o bien, which emphasizes a strict alternative more strongly than a simple o.
- The evolution from the Latin 'aut' to the Spanish 'o' shows a process of linguistic compression. The language essentially 'shrank' the word to its most efficient phonetic core.
- The sound of o is described as a 'pure' vowel because it maintains a stable, rounded quality without the shifting sounds common in English.
Examples in context
- Alguien me dijo que las personas con tipo de sangre O atraen más mosquitos que las personas con cualquier otro tipo de sangreSomeone told me that people with type O blood attract more mosquitoes than people with any other blood type.This sentence uses o to refer to a blood type.Tatoeba #12903377 by entusiasta, translation #4662664 by CK
- Por favor, dígame la compatibilidad existente entre un hombre de signo capricornio con grupo sanguíneo B y una mujer de signo libra con grupo sanguíneo O.Please tell me the degree of compatibility between a type B Capricorn man and a type O Libra woman.Tatoeba #5040455 by Helio, translation #9944683 by shekitten
- «¿De verdad crees que si añades una -o al final de cada palabra estás hablando español?» «No, pero si no sé cómo se dice una palabra vale la pena intentarlo.»"Do you really think that when you add an -o at the end of every word, you're speaking Spanish?" "No, but if I don't know how to say something, it's worth a shot."This sentence uses o as a suffix added to the end of words.Tatoeba #10034789 by Shishir, translation #10637511 by DJ_Saidez
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- Elena¿Quieres pizza o pasta?Do you want pizza or pasta?
- JavierNo sé, ¿una ensalada o algo más pesado?I don't know, a salad or something heavier?
- ElenaPodemos comer sushi o tacos hoy.We can eat sushi or tacos today.
- JavierPrefiero sushi, no quiero tacos.I prefer sushi, I don't want tacos.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry o, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries o, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
