ayer
standard
Yesterday in Mexican Spanish is ayer. For last night, Mexicans say anoche or the very common ayer en la noche. The day before yesterday is antier.
Meaning: the day before today (adverb)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| ayer | standard |
| ayer en la noche | Mexico |
| anoche | standard |
Put ayer at the start or end of the sentence: Ayer llovió or Llovió ayer. It pairs with the past tense.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Antier for "the day before yesterday" is widely used in Mexico. Spain more often uses the longer anteayer.
How do you pronounce it?
Ayer has two syllables and sounds like "ah-YEHR".
Did you know?
- Ayer comes from the Latin heri through an older Spanish form ayer that has barely changed in a thousand years.
Examples in context
- Ayer fui al mercado.Yesterday I went to the market.
- Ayer en la noche hubo tormenta.Last night there was a storm.
- Antier te llamé.I called you the day before yesterday.
Example conversation
Two coworkers, Hugo and Elena, chat on Monday morning in Monterrey.
- HugoElena, ¿qué hiciste ayer?Elena, what did you do yesterday?
- ElenaAyer fui a ver a mis papás.Yesterday I went to see my parents.
- Hugo¿Y antier?And the day before?
- ElenaAntier me quedé en casa descansando.The day before I stayed home resting.
