The word así in Spanish can be either an adverb or a conjunction. With only three letters, this word can express a multitude of meanings and modifies sentences in different ways.

In today’s article we are going to know some of the most popular uses of this word, but also some expressions that, although they are in disuse now, are also interesting:

 

 

Mode of the Verbal Action

The main and best known use of the word así in Spanish is as an adverb of manner. It is equivalent to the expression de esta manera (in this way, like this). At the same time, it also has a demonstrative function, because it points to the place where the listener should fix his attention:

Por favor, dobla la ropa así, como lo hago yo.

If you want to remember what demonstratives are in Spanish, take a look at this article. In our free grammar resources section you can learn and review all grammar concepts sorted by levels.

Likewise, the word así in Spanish can also introduce a series of actions:

La historia continuó así: el protagonista luchó con el ladrón y la policía llegó, pero al final, el criminal se escapó.

The Word Así in Spanish to Express Consequence

With both the form así pues and the variant así que, speakers can introduce the consequence of the action of the verb. Both forms are equivalent to other expressions such as por consiguiente, por lo tanto, en consecuencia… (in consequence, therefore…).

He suspendido el examen DELE, así que / así pues, esta vez voy a reservar clases con un profesor especializado.

Unpleasant Wishes with the Form Así

Although it is not the best known variant, we can use así as an interjection, an exclamatory form, to introduce wishes. It is equivalent to ojalá (If only…). However, the wish with así has a negative intention, a wish closer to a curse. As with ojalá, we must use the subjunctive in the verb form that accompanies it.

¿Me has robado mi vestido para la entrevista de trabajo? Así te rechacen y estés en paro muchos años.

The Word así in Spanish with Concessive Meaning

Concessive conjunctions introduce an obstacle for the action of the verb to be performed. We normally use connectors like aunque or a pesar de que (although, even though…) . However, we can also use así to introduce this concept. These connectors admit the use of indicative or subjunctive, depending on the situation. However, the use of así as a concessive conjunction always requires the subjunctive.

Conseguiré un trabajo, así tenga que recorrerme todas las empresas de la ciudad.

Certainly, this usage is less common nowadays but we can still find it in formal situations or written texts.

Conversational Expressions with the Word Así in Spanish

In addition to the more grammatical uses we have seen, the word así is commonly used to give short answers in conversations, both formal and colloquial. Let’s see some examples:

Así es

This expression is an affirmation to a question, equivalent to correcto, efectivamente (that’s right, that’s it)….

—¿Has estudiado español en Spanishviaskype.com?

—Así es.

Así así

With this doubling, we use the word así in Spanish to indicate that the state of health or mood is regular or not very good.

—¿Cómo está tu madre últimamente?

—Así así. Ha tenido días mejores.

In addition to this, we can also express that the quality of something or someone is poor.

—¿Qué tal tu nuevo coche?

—Pues, así así; esperaba mejores prestaciones.

Así es que

This use of así allows us to summarize or confirm information that has been previously discussed.

Así es que no sabes vive Antonio, ¿verdad?

We can also imply to our interlocutor that we have learned something that perhaps he or she did not want us to know.

Así es que tú mataste a mi amigo. ¡Ahora lo pagarás caro!

So, the word así in Spanish has many uses. The best way to master it is to put them into practice. For that we can help you if you reserve classes with us at Spanishviaskype.com: así es como mejor aprenderás español (that’s how you will learn Spanish the best).