Spanish: An Essential Grammar

No más/nomás

Often used to an excessive degree in speech, this phrase conveys several

meanings in Latin America:

(a) ‘just’, ‘only’: Fueron al mercado no más‘They just went to the

market’, hace una semana no más‘only a week ago’.

(b) to strengthen adjectives and adverbs: Es un jardín lindo no más‘It’s a

pretty garden’, Se hace así no más ‘That’s just how it is done’, Vino

ayer no más‘He came just yesterday’.

(c) to emphasize verbs, especially commands: La tierra empezó a temblar

no más‘The ground just began to shake’, Siga no más‘Please

continue’, Siéntense no más‘Just sit down’.

Recién

In addition to its Peninsular use exclusively before a past participle (see

7.2.3(c)), reciénhas the following meanings, especially in South America:

(a) ‘just now/recently’ (comparable with acabar deor hace poco tiempo):

Recién salió‘She just left’, Recién me ofrecieron el puesto‘They

recently/have just offered me the post’.

(b) ‘only (then)’, ‘not before/until’ (this usage in South America is

comparable with that of hastaabove): Recién entonces todos

concurrieron‘Only then did everyone agree’, Recién mañana iba a

venir‘He was only going to come tomorrow’.

(c) ‘hardly’, ‘barely’, ‘no sooner’ (comparable with apenas): Recién salía

de casa en ese momento‘He was barely leaving home at that time’,

Recién terminó cuando empezó a llover‘No sooner had he finished

than it started to rain’.

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Differences
between
Latin
American and
Peninsular
Spanish

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