más bien
/ˌmas ˈbjen/
The English word "rather" is translated into Spanish as más bien.
The phrase más bien is used as an adverb to mean "rather" or "more precisely." It often functions as a corrective adverb used to refine a description.
Meaning: more precisely (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of más (more) and bien (well), which literally translates to "more well".
Which one should you use?
While más bien can mean "rather" (as in "rather late"), it is also used to mean "instead" when correcting a previous statement or offering an alternative.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌmas ˈbjen/
Did you know?
- The word más shares a common ancestor with the English word 'master', as both stem from the Latin 'magister'.
- Depending on the region, más bien can be used to express skepticism or irony, acting as a subtle way to disagree with a previous claim.
- The word bien in más bien comes from the Latin bene, which is the root of English words like 'benefit' and 'benevolent'.
Examples in context
- Llegó más bien tarde.He arrived rather late.This example shows how to use más bien to describe someone arriving late.Tatoeba #2266054 by cueyayotl, translation #2266053 by _undertoad
- Es más bien divertido.It's rather amusing.This sentence uses más bien to describe something as amusing.Tatoeba #5883229 by albrusgher, translation #4495607 by CK
- Eso es más bien inesperado.That is rather unexpected.This example demonstrates using más bien to describe something unexpected.Tatoeba #180553 by cueyayotl, translation #1603 by CK
- En lugar de salir al cine, prefiero más bien quedarme en casa.Instead of going to the movies, I would rather stay at home.
- Más bien preferiría esperar un poco más para tomar la decisión.I would rather wait a little longer to make the decision.
- Prefiero salir con amigos antes que quedarme estudiando toda la noche.I would rather go out with friends than stay up studying all night.
- En lugar de hacer ejercicio, prefiero más bien relajarme.Instead of exercising, I would rather relax.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are discussing a movie they just watched.
- María¿Te gustó la película?Did you like the movie?
- MateoNo, fue más bien aburrida.No, it was rather boring.
- MaríaYo pensé que el final fue triste.I thought the ending was sad.
- MateoMás bien fue frustrante.Rather, it was frustrating.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rather” translations and entries más bien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, más, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
