Spanish · Greetings & Essentials

"And" in Spanish: y

y

Say it: eeconjunction/ˈi/

And in Spanish is y. Link pairs with café y leche or tú y yo. Before i or hi sounds, y becomes e.

Café order

Quiero café y leche sin azúcar.
I want coffee and milk with no sugar.
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How to pronounce y

Say it

ee

/ˈi/

ee. Short like see, not like eye.

"And" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
yand

Default linker.

eand (before i/hi)

Padre e hijo; agua e hielo.

tú y yoyou and I

People pairs.

esto y aquellothis and that

Vague lists.

How to use y in real life

  1. 1Café order

    Quiero café y leche sin azúcar.

    I want coffee and milk with no sugar.

    Food pair with y.

  2. 2Travel plan

    Vamos en bus y metro hasta allá.

    We'll go by bus and metro over there.

    Transport chain.

  3. 3Family names

    Llegan María y Pedro juntos.

    María and Pedro arrive together.

    Names linked with y.

Mistakes English speakers make with y

Incorrect: Café e leche.

Correct: Café y leche.

Use y before leche. Save e for i or hi sounds.

Incorrect: Padre y hijo.

Correct: Padre e hijo.

Before hijo, switch y to e.

Good to know

Y shows up in almost every sentence. The e-before-i rule feels odd at first. Then it turns automatic with names like Ignacio.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Building a snack order

  1. ChatPal

    ¿Quieres pan y queso?

    Do you want bread and cheese?

  2. You

    Sí, pan y queso, por favor.

    Yes, bread and cheese, please.

  3. ChatPal

    ¿Jugo o agua?

    Juice or water?

  4. You

    Agua, gracias.

    Water, thanks.

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"And" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "And" in Spanish

How do you say and?

Y.

When is it e, not y?

Before i or hi sounds: padre e hijo.

Does y have gender?

No. Conjunctions like y are not masculine or feminine.

You and I?

Tú y yo.

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