o
/o/
The Spanish word for "or" is o.
o is a conjunction used to connect two or more possibilities or alternatives.
How does it change in a sentence?
The conjunction o changes to u when the following word begins with the sound of the letter 'o', which includes words starting with 'o' or 'ho'.
How do you pronounce it?
/o/
Did you know?
- When presenting a choice in a very formal or legal context, Spanish speakers may use bien… bien… as a sophisticated alternative to o.
- While o translates to 'or', the phrase o sea is used as a filler similar to 'I mean' or 'in other words' in English conversation.
- In some dialects, people use the expression o qué at the end of a question to add a sense of impatience or challenge, similar to saying 'or what?'
Examples in context
- O todo o nada.Either all or none.This sentence demonstrates the use of o to present two extreme options.Tatoeba #1067413 by Shishir, translation #2122118 by freddy1
- Es todo o nada.It's all or nothing.This sentence shows how o connects two outcomes.Tatoeba #564506 by Shishir, translation #562904 by kebukebu
- ¿Un beso o dos?One kiss or two?This sentence uses o to present a choice between two quantities.Tatoeba #2690500 by marcelostockle, translation #2690321 by fekundulo
- ¿Prefiere té o café?Do you prefer tea or coffee?
- Puedes elegir el libro o la películaYou can choose the book or the movie
- Cinturón u objetos punzantesBelt or sharp objects
- Este o aquelThis or that
- De uno u otro modoOne way or another
- Ir de compras o al cineGo shopping or to the cinema
- Con o sin azúcarWith or without sugar
- ¿Quieres té u otro café?Do you want tea or another coffee?
- 1939 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- Mateo¿Quieres pizza o pasta?Do you want pizza or pasta?
- SofíaPrefiero la pasta, Mateo.I prefer pasta, Mateo.
- MateoMuy bien, ¿la quieres con salsa roja o blanca?Very well, do you want it with red or white sauce?
- SofíaCon salsa blanca, por favor.With white sauce, please.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry o, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
