no es suficiente
/no es sufiθjente/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "not enough" is no es suficiente.
no es suficiente is used to state that the amount or degree of something is less than what is needed.
Which one should you use?
While no es suficiente translates to "it is not enough," you should use no hay suficiente if you want to say "there is not enough" regarding a specific substance or quantity.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase no es suficiente uses the third-person singular form of the verb ser (to be). If the subject you are referring to is plural, you must change the verb and the adjective to no son suficientes.
How do you pronounce it?
/no es sufiθjente/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, saying ¡Suficiente! as a single word acts as a command meaning 'Stop it!' or 'That's enough!', regardless of the quantity of an object.
- While no es suficiente is the standard phrase, Spanish speakers often use the shorter no alcanza to say something is not enough, specifically when referring to money or time.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, when someone tells you no es suficiente, it may be a polite way of indicating they are dissatisfied with a result without being directly confrontational.
Examples in context
- Eso no es suficiente.That's not enough.Tatoeba #1429614 by hayastan, translation #2047452 by halfb1t
- Esto no es suficiente.It's not enough.Tatoeba #2626547 by Shishir, translation #1855207 by Spamster
- Una sola lengua no es suficiente.One language is not enough.Tatoeba #1369798 by Shishir, translation #1369573 by Triwizard
- El presupuesto asignado para el proyecto no es suficienteThe budget allocated for the project is not enough
- No hay suficiente tiempo para completar todas las tareasThere isn't enough time to complete all the tasks
- No llega el dinero para salir de fiestaThere isn't enough money to go out partying
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are preparing a meal together.
- ElenaNecesitamos más sal para la sopa.We need more salt for the soup.
- AlejandroSolo queda un poco en el frasco.There is only a little left in the jar.
- ElenaLo siento, pero eso no es suficiente.I'm sorry, but that is not enough.
- AlejandroIré a la tienda ahora mismo.I will go to the store right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
