How Do You Say "Anyway" in Spanish?
“So, anyway…”
“So, anyway, he went to the movies and…” or you might say, “…That’s what happened anyway.” What do we mean when we use this ubiquitous word in English? Seeing the solutions in Spanish actually helps us understand the ways in which this word is used.
Often, we use anyway (or colloquially anyways) to signal to our listeners that we are about to summarize or conclude, or wrap up a previous bundle of discourse. As the quotes above show, t can come at the beginning of a concluding sentence or it can come at the end. Although it is somewhat abrupt rhetorically to place it at the end, it does signal to a listener that it is his or her turn to speak.
Summarizing clauses in Spanish that correspond in their function to anyway include (note that the “translations” indicate some equivalent in usage. They aren’t necessarily literal meanings or translations:
en fin: anyway, well, so, to sum up
En fin, me amigo tuvo que pagar la multa (Anyway, my friend had to pay the fine).
a fin de cuentas: in the final analysis, after all
Así que, a fin de cuentas, ella lo dejó plantado (So, anyway, she stood him up).
en todo caso: anyway, at any rate, in any case/event, after all
Ellas no van a invitarla en todo caso porque se cree lo máximo (They aren’t going to invite her because after all, she is conceited).
a pesar de todo: anyway, despite everything, in spite of it all/everything
Ellos se quieren mucho a pesar de todo (They love each other a lot in spite of it all).
A pesar de todo, ella no lo va a abandonar (In spite of everything, she is not going to leave him).
de todos modos: anyway, in any case
De todos modos, tú no la quieres ver esta noche, ¿verdad? (In any event, you don’t want to see her tonight, do you?)
Ella te va a invitar de todos modos (She’s going to invite you anyway).
This post is part of the series: Spanish Usage
The articles in this series deal with various questions about the right choice of word or phrase when English may have one or two structures but Spanish has more. They often deal with prepositional issues.
- Spanish Usage Questions: “Above”
- Using “Actual” and “Actually” in Spanish
- A Problem Preposition: The Ways “About” is Expressed in Spanish
- The Many Spanish Faces of the English Verb “to Agree”
- Spanish Usage Questions: Ways to say “Again”
- Expressing the Many Meanings of After
- Spanish Usage Questions: How to Say “Ahead”
- Spanish Usage Questions: “Anyone” and “Anybody”
- Using “Anyway…” in Spanish
- Let’s Learn About How to Talk About Appointments & Dating
- What Do You Use for “Around” in Spanish
- The Spanish Verbs Meaning “to Ask” are Many!
- Beware of False Cognates! How to Express “Attend,” “Assist,” and “Help”
- Are You “Cool” or “Cold”? Explore the Nuances in Spanish
- The Difference Between “Why” and “Because” in Spanish
- The Temporal and Spacial Meanings of “Before”: How to Get it Right in Spanish
- Don’t Be Left in the Dust! Learn to Express the Meanings of “Behind” in Spanish
- Get the Low Down on the Preposition “Below” and Say it Right in Spanish!
- Understand Saying “Help” in Spanish
- Translating “Beside” & “Besides” into Spanish: Interesting Solutions!
- Not all Meanings of “But” Are Equal!
- Expressing the Various Meanings of the Preposition “By” in Spanish
- What Can the English Word “Can” Mean and How to Get it Right in Spanish
- Spanish Usage Questions: “Corner”
- The Word “Country” in Spanish
- The Various Meanings of “Outweigh” in English and How to Express Them in Spanish
- Expressing the Idea of “Ownership” in Spanish
- How to Express “Time & Distance” in Spanish
- Treat, Try, Attempt, Deal with… In Spanish, You Probably Need “Tratar”
- Spanish Usage Questions: “Having Fun”
- Even a Word Like “Even” Has Many Counterparts in Spanish
- Don’t Go Wrong When You Look for Ways to Express “to fail”
- Do You Mean “Fair” Weather, a “Fair” Game or a “Fair” Complexion? Learn How to Say Them in Spanish!
- Love, Desire and Wanting – Spanish Style!
- Discover the Right Spanish Verbs for Taking, Holding, Grabbing… and More
- You Have Nothing to Fear Except Not Knowing How to Say “Fear” in Spanish!
- Spanish Equivalents of the Common English Word “Find”
- Discover the Various Meanings of “Middle” and How to Say Them in Spanish
- Not All Spanish Words Meaning “Worker” Are Created Equal
