Spanish word of the week: mismo

This week’s Spanish word of the week is mismo ADJECTIVE, ADVERB same; right

When you need to compare things and say they’re the same, mismo is the word you need:

Nos gustan los mismos libros. We like the same books.

When you want to say one thing is the same as another, the word you use for as is que:

He sacado la misma nota que ella. I got the same mark as her.

You can put mismo after words such as yo, tú, and so on (technically, ‘subject pronouns’) when you want to emphasize them:

Lo hice yo mismo. I did it myself (if a male is speaking).

Ni ella misma sabe qué quiere decir. She doesn’t even know herself what she means.

Now you have a go. Complete these sentences with a pronoun and the correct form of mismo. (The answers are at the end)

Lo hicimos _ _. We did it ourselves.

Hazlo _ _. Do it yourself.

Apart from meaning the same, mismo is used to emphasize and pinpoint certain adverbs. It’s useful to learn these combinations of mismo with another word as single units:

Nos podemos encontrar aquí mismo. We can meet right here.

enfrente mismo del colegio right in front of the college

When you ask for something in restaurants, and similar situations, the person serving you may well say ahora mismo, right away, straight away:

¿Me trae la carta? – Ahora mismo, caballero. Right away, sir.

Mismo is often used with time words. Sometimes it just emphasizes the word it goes with and so isn’t translated:

Me han dicho que me lo entregan hoy mismo. They said I’d get it delivered today.

Other times you can translate it as just:

Ayer mismo fue intervenida en el hospital de Medellín.  They operated on her in the Medellín hospital just yesterday.

ANSWERS:  nosotros mismos, tú mismo

Come back next week for another insight into Spanish vocabulary!