the use of "pues"

Question

I am trying to understand the use of pues, someone told me it's used differently in spain in everyday talk but I am not sure if this is correct. please give some examples if you know.

Thanks

Answer 1

"Pues" can be used as a conjunction or an adverb. As a conjunction it means (but probably not limited to) for, then, since, and as an adverb it means well, so and then. This is solely dependent on context.
Examples:
querías verlo, pues ahí está---you wanted to see it, so here it is.
¡pues ya está!----well, that's it!
I hope this gets you started. Welcome to the forum. Check out the phrasebook feature on this site it may have more examples. I'm sure the gurus will weigh in on this soon.

Jason, you are a guru! - Echoline, Nov 17, 2010

Guru of learning!! ;) It's this great community that teaches, not me!! S P O N G E I T up Cathy!! - Jason7R, Nov 17, 2010

thanks, yeah this is a great way to learn spanish, I am glad I discovered this site :) - avicenna, Nov 17, 2010

Answer 2

Some examples which I think are correct.

Tengo sueño, pues vete a la cama - I'm tired, then go to bed

Llegó, pues, con dos horas de retraso - so he arrived two hours late

¿No vas con ella, pues? - Aren't you going with her after all.

Pues no voy - well I'm not going

Pues, como te iba contando - well, as I was saying

¡Pues, claro! - yes, of course

Pues sí o no - well, yes or no

¡Pues qué! - Come now, what else did you expect

Pues, no sé - well, I don't know

Cómpralo, pues lo necesitas - Buy it since you need it

thanks for the examples, a lot of different way of using it! I need to practice using it now. - avicenna, Nov 17, 2010

Answer 3

It's used in many ways. It's even sometimes used the way we use, "Ummmm......" or "So......" or "Then..."

I'm sure other will give you other uses, too.

Answer 4

I just looked the word "pues" up in the R.A.E. (Real Academia Española) and it had some great information...Check this link out..... RAE Now you are going to have to work at understanding this a bit but give it a shot, you W I L L learn something!!

thanks jason. - avicenna, Nov 17, 2010

¡no hay de que! ;) - Jason7R, Nov 17, 2010

Answer 5

Yeah I was listening to some pod casts from Spain at one point. And, they said natives use "pues" a lot at the beginning of sentences, kind of like in English when we start a sentence with..."Well".

Answer 6

¿Me quieres mucho? Pues yo a tí , nada.

Pues como sigas gastando dinero, irás a la ruina.

¿Te vas a comprar un coche nuevo? Pues no sé que decirte.Quizá.

¿Qué tal tu examen? Pues ni bien ni mal.

Answer 7

I read somewhere that if you want to sound like a native say "pues" a lot when you listen.