recientemente
/reˌθjenteˈmente/
In Spanish, recently is expressed as recientemente. Wiktionary also lists hace poco and últimamente.
Meaning: in the recent past (adv)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| recientemente | /reˌθjenteˈmente/ /reˌsjenteˈmente/ |
| hace poco | /aθe poko/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /ase poko/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
| últimamente | /ˌultimaˈmente/ |
| recién | /reˈθjen/ /reˈsjen/ |
| enantes | /eˈnantes/ |
| endenantes | /endeˈnantes/ |
The term refers to the recent past.
Which one should you use?
recientemente refers to a specific point in the recent past, whereas últimamente is used to describe a trend or a repeated state that has been happening lately (similar to the English 'lately').
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hace poco is a very common, natural way to say recently in spoken Spanish and is more informal than recientemente. For formal contexts describing recent events within a specific timeframe, you can use En los últimos tiempos.
Is it said differently in some regions?
enantes is a colloquial form used in certain Latin American dialects to mean 'a little while ago' or 'recently'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word recién is used specifically as an adverb before past participles to indicate something has just happened, such as in the phrase recién casado (recently married).
How do you pronounce it?
/reˌθjenteˈmente/
Did you know?
- The phrase hace poco literally translates to 'it makes little', using the verb 'hacer' to express the passage of time.
- The word poco in hace poco shares the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'few'.
- In some Latin American regions, enantes or endenantes is used to mean 'recently', but these words are virtually unknown in Spain.
Examples in context
- Le vi hace poco.I saw him recently.This sentence shows the use of hace poco to indicate a recent sighting.Tatoeba #772519 by Shishir, translation #243883 by CK
- Fui ahí hace poco.I went there recently.This sentence demonstrates using hace poco to describe a recent trip.Tatoeba #2122348 by Shishir, translation #808715 by ryanthewired
- Vi a James hace poco.I have recently seen James.This sentence illustrates using hace poco to express seeing someone recently.Tatoeba #723111 by Shishir, translation #719455 by CP
- Hemos implementado cambios recientementeWe have recently implemented changes
- Hace poco tiempo, se descubrió una nueva especieA new species was discovered recently
- En los últimos tiempos, hemos experimentado un crecimiento significativoRecently, we have experienced significant growth
- Últimamente no me siento bienRecently, I haven't been feeling well
- Fui a ese restaurante hace pocoI went to that restaurant recently
- De un tiempo a esta parte, he estado ocupadoRecently, I have been busy
- He visitado recientemente a mi abuelaI recently visited my grandmother
- ¿Has visto esa película últimamente?Have you seen that movie recently?
- En los últimos tiempos, hemos colaborado en varios proyectos.Recently, we have collaborated on several projects.
- Quisiera informarles que hemos cambiado de proveedor recientemente.I would like to inform you that we have recently changed suppliers.
- Hace poco, me mudé a una nueva ciudad.I recently moved to a new city.
- 134 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are catching up at a cafe.
- SofíaHola Javier, ¿cómo te ha ido recientemente?Hello Javier, how have you been doing recently?
- JavierHola Sofía, todo va muy bien, gracias.Hello Sofía, everything is going very well, thank you.
- SofíaMe alegro mucho de escucharlo.I am very glad to hear that.
- JavierGracias, ¿y tú qué tal estás?Thank you, and how are you doing?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “recently” translations and entries recientemente, últimamente, recién, enantes, endenantes, 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 hace, poco, recientemente, recién, últimamente, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
