más o menos
/ˌmas o ˈmenos/
The English phrase "sort of" can be translated into Spanish as más o menos.
The phrase is used to indicate that something is true to some extent but not entirely. While más o menos is a way to express this in everyday conversations, other phrases can be used depending on the level of formality.
Meaning: to some extent but not entirely (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase más o menos literally translates to "more or less".
Which one should you use?
Más o menos translates to "more or less". For more formal discussions, you might use En cierto modo to mean "in a certain way" or De alguna manera to mean "in some way".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and some Central American countries, the word medio is used as a regional variation of "sort of".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌmas o ˈmenos/
Did you know?
- The word más is a direct relative of the English word 'master', as both stem from the Latin 'magis' meaning 'more'.
- In some contexts, a speaker might say más o menos while making a slight waving gesture with their hand to emphasize the uncertainty.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, más o menos is a common non-committal answer to ¿Cómo estás? It suggests that the person is not doing great, but not terrible either.
Examples in context
- En cierto modo, comprendo tu punto de vistaSort of, I understand your point of view
- La película estuvo más o menos bienThe movie was sort of good
- Me siento, como que, cansadoI feel, sort of, tired
- Es medio complicadoIt's sort of complicated
- Estoy más bien cansadoI am sort of tired
- ¿Estás cansado? Más o menos.Are you tired? Sort of.
- El examen fue más o menos difícil.The exam was sort of difficult.
- Ya estoy más o menos listo.I am more or less ready.
- Entiendo más o menos lo que dices.I sort of understand what you are saying.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are discussing a new movie they just watched.
- María¿Te gustó la película, Daniel?Did you like the movie, Daniel?
- DanielMás o menos, la historia es un poco lenta.Sort of, the story is a bit slow.
- MaríaA mí me pareció interesante.I thought it was interesting.
- DanielEs cierto, pero no fue perfecta.That's true, but it wasn't perfect.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry más o menos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries menos, más, o, CC BY-SA 4.0.
