más de lo habitual
/mas de lo abitwal/from spelling rules
The English phrase "more than usual" is translated into Spanish as más de lo habitual.
This phrase is used to describe a quantity or frequency that is greater than what normally happens.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of más (more), de (than/of), lo (the – neuter article) and habitual (habitual/usual).
Which one should you use?
While más de lo habitual is common, más de lo normal is a very frequent alternative used to express the same idea of exceeding a standard baseline. You may also use más de lo acostumbrado when you want to specifically emphasize the habitual aspect.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the neuter article lo because it refers to an abstract concept (the usual state) rather than a specific noun.
Did you know?
- While habitual means 'usual' in this phrase, using the word hábito in Spanish can refer to both a personal routine and the traditional hooded robe worn by monks.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, people might replace más de lo habitual with the phrase más de la cuenta, which literally means 'more than the account'.
- The use of lo in más de lo habitual creates a 'neuter' noun from an adjective, a feature of Spanish that has no direct equivalent in English grammar.
Examples in context
- Ayer comí más de lo habitual.I ate more than usual yesterday.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use más de lo habitual to describe an action from the past.Tatoeba #11759942 by Seael, translation #11759931 by CK
- Este mes hemos vendido más de lo habitualThis month we have sold more than usual
- La producción de la fábrica está por encima de lo normalThe factory's production is above normal
- La reunión duró más de lo acostumbradoThe meeting lasted longer than usual
- Trabajó más de lo habitual esta semana.He worked more than usual this week.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are discussing the amount of rain in the city.
- Elena¿Has visto que ha llovido mucho?Have you noticed that it has rained a lot?
- MateoSí, llueve más de lo habitual últimamente.Yes, it is raining more than usual lately.
- ElenaEs verdad, el cielo está muy gris.It is true, the sky is very grey.
- MateoEspero que el clima mejore pronto.I hope the weather improves soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
