Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| más que nada | /mas ke nada/ (from spelling rules) |
| en su mayoría | /en su maʝoˈɾia/ |
Spanish uses different phrases to express 'mostly' depending on whether you are talking about the main reason for something or the proportion of a group. Use más que nada to emphasize a single most important factor or reason, similar to saying 'primarily' or 'above all'. Use en su mayoría when referring to the composition or proportion of a group, which can also mean 'in most cases' or 'in the majority of instances'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase más que nada literally translates to 'more than nothing'.
Which one should you use?
en su mayoría is used when referring to the composition or proportion of a group, whereas más que nada is used to indicate the primary factor or reason for something.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, en general can be used interchangeably with mostly in certain contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase en su mayoría is an adverbial phrase that functions as a single unit and does not change its form based on the gender or number of the subject it describes.
How do you pronounce it?
/mas ke nada/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Las enfermedades genéticas son, en su mayoría, irremediables.Genetic diseases are mostly uncurable.This example shows how to use en su mayoría to describe a proportion of things.Tatoeba #1283551 by marcelostockle, translation #1283628 by marcelostockle
- Lo que no se imaginaba Cristóbal Colón es que los futuros piratas son en su mayoría piratas informáticos: lo más cerca que estarán nunca de navegar por el mar será en una bañera.Little did Christopher Columbus know that future pirates are mostly internet pirates: The closest they will ever get to surfing the sea is being in a bathtub.This example uses en su mayoría to describe a proportion of people.Tatoeba #589735 by Shishir, translation #584834 by saeb
- El éxito depende más que nada en el esfuerzo.Success depends mostly on effort.This example uses más que nada to indicate the primary reason for success.Tatoeba #758093 by darinmex, translation #271322 by CK
- Ella come principalmente vegetalesShe mostly eats vegetables
- El grupo está compuesto mayoritariamente por mujeresThe group is mostly composed of women
- Casi siempre voy al gimnasio los lunesI mostly go to the gym on Mondays
- La mayoría del tiempo estoy ocupado con el trabajoI'm mostly busy with work
- En su mayor parte, las películas de ese director son excelentesMostly, movies by that director are excellent
- Me gusta principalmente el cine de acción.I mostly like action movies.
- Estamos en su mayoría satisfechos con el resultado.We are mostly satisfied with the outcome.
- La mayoría del tiempo prefiero la música clásica.Mostly, I prefer classical music.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking about their weekend plans.
- Daniel¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana, María?What are you going to do this weekend, María?
- MaríaVoy a descansar, más que nada.I'm going to rest, mostly.
- DanielSuena bien, yo tengo que limpiar la casa.Sounds good, I have to clean the house.
- María¡Ánimo, Daniel! Después puedes descansar tú también.Cheer up, Daniel! You can rest too afterwards.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mostly” translations and entries en su mayoría, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, mayoría, más, nada, que, su, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
