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"Rather" is an adverb which is often translated as "preferir", and "either" is a conjunction which is often translated as "o". Learn more about the difference between "rather" and "either" below.
rather(
rah
-
thuhr
)
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
adverb
a. preferir
I would rather die than vote for him.Prefiero morir que votar por él.
a. bastante
Under the guidance of Pope Francis, the church is becoming rather socially oriented.Bajo la dirección del Papa Francisco, la iglesia se está orientando bastante hacia lo social.
a. algo
I feel rather tired despite having slept for eight hours last night.Me siento algo cansado a pesar de haber dormido ocho horas anoche.
b. poco
She was rather bored during the date.Ella estaba un poco aburrida durante la cita.
a. mejor dicho
He has been in business, or rather at his fruit stand, for 15 years now.Ha tenido un negocio, o mejor dicho un puesto de frutas, ahora por 15 años.
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either(
ay
-
thuhr
)
A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, clauses, or sentences (e.g., The cat and the dog slept.).
conjunction
a. o
Either close the door or come inside.O cierra la puerta o entra.
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
adjective
a. cualquiera de los dos
You can choose either glass.Puedes escoger cualquiera de los dos vasos.
b. ninguno de los dos (with a negated verb)
I don't think either team will win.No creo que gane ninguno de los dos equipos.
a. ambos
There was a person on either side of me on the plane.Tenía a una persona a ambos lados de mí en el avión.
b. cada
There were beautiful ferns on either side of the country lane.Había unos helechos hermosos a cada lado del sendero rural.
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun (e.g., she).
pronoun
a. cualquiera
I like both of those popsicle flavors, so I can eat either.Me gustan las paletas de ambos sabores, así que puedo comerme cualquiera.
b. ninguno (with a negated verb)
I don't like beef or chicken sandwiches. I don't want either.No me gustan los sándwiches ni de carne ni de pollo. No quiero ninguno.
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
adverb
a. tampoco (with a negated verb)
I don't like cockroaches either.No me gustan las cucarachas tampoco.
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