la mayoría de
/la maʝoɾia de/from spelling rules
The English phrase "most of" is translated into Spanish as la mayoría de.
la mayoría de is used to refer to the largest part or number of a group.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means "the majority of".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase la mayoría de is a feminine singular noun phrase, regardless of whether the noun it modifies is masculine or feminine. When referring to a specific group of people or things, you should follow the phrase with the definite articles los or las before the noun (e.g., la mayoría de los/las…).
How do you pronounce it?
/la maʝoɾia de/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid omitting the definite article at the beginning. English speakers often mistakenly say mayoría de instead of the correct la mayoría de.
Did you know?
- While la mayoría de refers to the majority, the word mayor also means 'older' when talking about people. This means a 'major' part of something and an 'older' person share the same root word.
- In Spanish, the phrase la mayoría can be followed by either a singular or plural verb depending on whether the speaker is emphasizing the group as a single unit or the individuals within it.
- The word mayoría shares a common ancestor with the English word 'major', as both trace back to the Latin 'maior', meaning 'bigger'.
Examples in context
- La mayoría de éstos son míos.Most of these are mine.This sentence shows how to use la mayoría de to refer to a group of objects.Tatoeba #6863587 by arh, translation #6863394 by CK
- La mayoría de ello está en francés.Most of it's in French.This sentence demonstrates the use of la mayoría de when referring to an inanimate thing or concept.Tatoeba #5755830 by arh, translation #3824550 by CK
- La mayoría de ellos son canadienses.Most of them are Canadians.This sentence shows how to use la mayoría de to refer to a group of people.Tatoeba #5755668 by arh, translation #5087402 by CK
- 58 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are discussing their classmates at a cafe.
- Elena¿Dónde están tus compañeros de clase?Where are your classmates?
- JavierLa mayoría de ellos están en la biblioteca.Most of them are in the library.
- Elena¡Qué estudiosos son todos!How studious they all are!
- JavierSí, siempre estudian mucho.Yes, they always study a lot.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, la, mayoría, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
