atrás y detrás

Question

is there a usage difference for these two words. they both mean back, behind,

Answer 1

Good question! Here's an article on that topic.

Detrás is most often used:

As detrás de to form a prepositional phrase meaning "behind," "in back of" or "after."

• Está detrás de la casa. (It is behind the house.)

• Vinieron detrás de ella. (They came after she did.)

In a figurative sense as detrás de to mean "behind."

• Condenó a los políticos detrás de las protestas. (He condemned the politicians behind the protests.)

• El cuento detrás del cuento. (The story behind the story.)

As por detrás to form a phrase meaning "from behind."

• Se rieron de ella por detrás. (They laughed at her from behind her back.)

In parts of Latin America, it is common to use atrás de where detrás de might be used in the examples above.

Atrás is most often used:

By itself or as hacia atrás to mean "backwards."

• Fue atrás. (He went backwards.)

• Miró hacia atrás. (He looked backwards.)

To mean "ago."

• Comí cinco días atrás. (I ate five days ago.)

With dejar to mean "leave behind."

• Tim LaHaye escribió el libro Dejados atrás. (Tim LaHaye wrote the book Left Behind.)

As an exclamation (¡atrás!) to mean "Get back!"

In preference to detrás when accompanied by a comparative term such as más or menos.

• Otro edificio más atrás servía de oficina. (Another building further back served as an office.)

Answer 2

A few more sentences to add to Mariana's comparative example for atrás.

With comparative degrees, atrás must be used.

Está más atrás. - It's farther back ( farther to the rear )

No te pongas tan atrás. - Don't get so far back ( so far to the rear )

Está muy atrás. - It's way behind.

Answer 3

Here's another short lesson on the subject that you might find useful.

Detrás vs atrás