Spanish words aún y aun may lead to confusion. Although they look and sound alike, these two adverbs are different in meaning. Our Spanish school El Rincón del Tándem tells you how to use both effectively ?
As we already explained in our previous blogs, some Spanish words can be pronounced or written in the same way but are different in meanings and usages.
Today we deal with those Spanish words that only differ from others in the written accent (diacritical mark). That is the case of monosyllabic words like, si/sí, de/dé or other Spanish words like como/cómo, cuándo/cuándo, que/qué, etc.
Specifically, we will focus on the Spanish adverb aún and aun. These two adverbs are usually confused by students when practicing the language during Spanish lessons.
Therefore, let’s see in details what is the main difference between aun y aún and when to use them.
AUN
Aun is a Spanish adverb that is usually translated in English as “even”. It is synonymous with Spanish adverbs incluso, (ni) siquiera, hasta.
When we use aun, we include what follows the adverb in a group. Also, we may indicate that despite what follows “aun” we (not)did something or something happens(ed) or not.
See the example below:
- No le conté a nadie de mi promoción; ni aun a mis padres = I didn’t tell anybody about muy promotion, not even my parents
(that is, I did not tell anybody, including my parents. My parents are included in the group of people I did not tell about my promotion)
More examples:
- Aun hoy recuerdo aquel viaje = Even today, I remember that trip
- Aun con el paraguas me mojé toda = Even with umbrela, I got soaked
- Este fin de semana haré senderismo aun si llueve = This weekend I will hike, even if it rains
Furthermore, the adverb aun is also used in phrases, like aun cuando (even when) and aun así (even so).
- No dejaré de estudiar nunca aun cuando tenga que hacerlo por la noche = I will never stop studying even when I have to do it at night
- Aun así, no puedo conducir = Even so, I can’t dirve
- No me gustan los guisantes, pero aun así me los como = I don’t like peas; even so I eat them
AÚN
Aún is a Spanish time adverb. In English it is usually translated as “still” or “yet” and it is synonymous with the Spanish adverb “todavía”.
Aún is used to indicate that an action is still occurring or that a situation is lasting.
Examples:
- Aún estoy en el gimnasio = I am still at the gym
- María aún no me ha llamado = Maria hasn’t call me yet
- No he visto aún su trabajo, pero estoy segura de que me va a encantar = I haven’t seen her work yet, but I am sure I am going to love it
- Aún no puedo creer lo bien que lo has hecho = I can’t still believe how good you were
LOOK OUT!
We use aún in phrases like aún más, aún menos, aún mejor, aún peor to increase intensity when comparing.
Examples:
- Su hermana es aún más divertida que él = His sister is even more funny than him
- En esta zona los autobuses son aún menos frecuentes = In this área buses are even less frequent
- He bailado bien, pero la próxima vez quiero hacerlo aún mejor = I performed well, but next time I want to do it even better
We hope this bog about Spanish words aún and aun helped you to use them fluently in Spanish conversation.
El Rincón del Tándem will be happy to explain more about Spanish grammar, language and culture at our school in Valencia. Get in contact with us to know more about our Spanish lessons.
Have a nice day!
