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"Al principio" is a phrase which is often translated as "at the beginning", and "primero" is an adjective which is often translated as "first". Learn more about the difference between "al principio" and "primero" below.
al principio(
ahl
prreen
-
see
-
pyoh
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
1. (at first)
a. at the beginning
Las clases eran fáciles al principio, pero para el final del año nadie entendía nada.Classes were easy at the beginning, but by the end of the year, no one understood anything.
b. initially
Me cayó bien al principio, pero después descubrí que era una estafadora.I liked her initially, and then I discovered that she was a con artist.
c. in the beginning
Recuerdo que, al principio, le daba miedo conducir.I remember that, in the beginning, he was afraid of driving.
primero(
pree
-
meh
-
roh
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (position)
a. first
Los países se enumeran en la primera fila de la tabla.The countries are listed in the first row of the table.
2. (in time)
3. (principal)
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
a. the best
Era el primero en matemáticas en séptimo grado.I was the best in mathematics in seventh grade.
