Spanish Conversation · Level 9
90 words
Spanish word
entonces
Pronunciation
IPA/enˈtonθes/
Meaning
- adverbthen
Example
Vivíamos en la misma ciudad entonces.
We were living in the same city then.
More examples
Si no tienes dinero, entonces no puedes entrar.
If you don't have money, then you can't enter.
Core concept
A link connecting an earlier fact to its consequence at one moment.
Common phrases
y entonces
and then
desde entonces
since then
hasta entonces
until then
Similar words
luego: Short period immediately following an event.
después: Time occurring later than a given reference point.
más tarde: Some unspecified time later than the present.
por entonces: Specific point in the past.
Definition in Spanish
Indica un momento concreto («en ese momento») y que también sirve para introducir una consecuencia o para enlazar una idea con la siguiente.
Word origin
From en plus Latin tunc 'then' in medieval Romance (en+tunc → entonces), the word keeps the temporal sense and also functions as a connector indicating consequence.
Usage tips
- When choosing between entonces, luego, and después, entonces signals that A directly leads to B or pinpoints the moment something happens, while luego and después emphasize that something occurs later.