toda la razón
/toda la ɾaθon/from spelling rules
The English phrase "true that" can be expressed in Spanish as toda la razón.
toda la razón is an informal expression used to agree with something another person has said.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to all the reason.
Which one should you use?
While the phrase tienes razón means "you are right", adding toda la (all the) intensifies the agreement to "you are absolutely right" or "true that".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions in Spain, Cierto (pronounced See-ehr-toh) may be used instead of Es verdad to express agreement.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use this in a full sentence to say "you are absolutely right", you use the verb tener (to have), as in tienes toda la razón.
How do you pronounce it?
/toda la ɾaθon/
Did you know?
- The word razón shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'ration'. Both words stem from the Latin 'ratio', which originally referred to a calculation or a way of thinking.
- In Spanish, the concept of being 'right' is expressed as having reason tener razón rather than being right. This frames correctness as a possession of logic rather than a state of being.
- The word razón can also mean 'excuse' or 'justification' in specific contexts. If someone says no tengo razón, they might be saying they have no excuse for their behavior rather than stating they are wrong.
Examples in context
- Tienes toda la razón con lo que dices.You are totally right about what you're saying.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing how expensive coffee has become.
- SofíaEl café está carísimo ahora.Coffee is so expensive now.
- JavierTienes toda la razón.True that.
- SofíaYa no puedo ir todos los días.I can't go every day anymore.
- JavierEs verdad, es demasiado.It's true, it's too much.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, razón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
