Mas o menos / Asi Asi – So-so

Question

Which one works best. Are they interchangeable or slightly different in meaning? I only ask as I've heard both used in response to 'Como te va?' (How are you?)

• Más and Así, both with accents. - Eddy May 12, 2011
• Yeh, I'm currently at work and don't have a Spanish keyboard. Will be more thorough in future! - Samian May 12, 2011
• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_Spanish_phrase_asi_asi_mean_in_English - Azabache May 12, 2011

Answer 1

I wouldn't have thought they were completely interchangeable. I think más o menos equates to "more or less" which is slightly different to "so so". for instance,

me dijo más o menos lo mismo de ayer - he said more or less the same thing to me yesterday

¿me entiendes cuando hablo español? - poco más o menos - do you understand me when I am speaking Spanish? - more or less.

I know "so so" doesn't fit well in the English sentences and I am sure "así así" wouldn't fit in Spanish ones.

Answer 2

I usually see them used almost interchangably. I think the major difference may be regional.

Answer 3

Mas o menos, "more or less", is the best way to express "so-so". Or you could use regular.

But así así is incorrect, as I've been told. "Así" most of the time is not equivalent to the English "So" (though it can be translated that way sometimes). A better general translation of "así" is "that way". No me mires así. - Don't look at me that way. Le diré a ella, así sabrá... - I will tell her, that way she will know...