How to Say "Little by Little" in Spanish

poco a poco

/poko a poko/from spelling rules

The English phrase 'little by little' is translated into Spanish as poco a poco.

Poco a poco is a common and versatile way to express the idea of something happening gradually or in small stages over time.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of the word poco (little) and the preposition a (by/to).

While poco a poco is the standard expression, you can also use the adverb paulatinamente to mean 'gradually'.

The expression de a poco is especially prevalent in various Latin American countries.

The phrase poco a poco is adverbial and does not change its form to agree with gender or number.

Spanish speakers may use poco a poco as a gentle way to tell someone to slow down or be patient without using a direct command.
The word poco shares the same ancient roots as the English word 'few', both tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European source describing a small amount.
The word poco can change the meaning of a sentence entirely depending on the article used, such as the difference between un poco (a little) and poco (not much).

Mejorará poco a poco.
He will get better little by little.
This sentence shows the use of poco a poco to describe improvement over time.
Tatoeba #776415 by Shishir, translation #299572 by CK
Se recuperó poco a poco.
He recovered little by little.
This sentence demonstrates how poco a poco describes a gradual recovery.
Tatoeba #8005698 by Seael, translation #299573 by CM
Su francés mejora poco a poco.
His French is improving little by little.
This sentence illustrates using poco a poco to describe a gradual improvement in a skill.
Tatoeba #2258674 by SrTortuga, translation #2258673 by _undertoad
Es importante aprender nuevo vocabulario poco a poco para retenerlo mejor.
It's important to learn new vocabulary little by little to retain it better.
Vamos a salir de fiesta, pero primero acomodemos el salón de a poco.
We're going out partying, but first let's tidy up the living room little by little.
Agrega la sal pizca a pizca hasta que esté al gusto.
Add salt little by little until it reaches the desired taste.
Ve aprendiendo el idioma a poquitos, pronto te desenvolverás mejor.
Start learning the language little by little, soon you'll become more proficient.
13 more sentences on Tatoeba

Javier and María are talking about learning a new hobby.

Javier

Estoy aprendiendo a pintar poco a poco.
I am learning to paint little by little.
María

¡Qué bien! ¿Es muy difícil?
That's great! Is it very difficult?
Javier

Sí, pero voy entendiendo la técnica poco a poco.
Yes, but I am understanding the technique little by little.
María

Lo importante es practicar cada día.
The important thing is to practice every day.

Sources

IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, poco, poco a poco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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