vs
QUICK ANSWER
"Than" is a conjunction which is often translated as "que", and "rather than" is a phrase which is often translated as "en vez de". Learn more about the difference between "than" and "rather than" below.
than(
thahn
)A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, clauses, or sentences (e.g., The cat and the dog slept.).
a. de
They offered me more money than I had asked for.Me ofrecieron más dinero de lo que había pedido.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I can't believe you would rather stay home alone than come to the party with me.No puedo creer que prefieres quedarte en casa sola antes que venir a la fiesta conmigo.
I'd rather do all the work now than be stressed out later.Prefiero hacer todo el trabajo ahora a estar estresado después.
A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., He ran through the door.).
rather than(
rah
-
thuhr
thahn
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
1. (instead of)
a. en vez de
I'm going to go to Puerto Vallarta rather than Acapulco this year.Voy a ir a Puerto Vallarta en vez de Acapulco este año.
c. antes que
I'd sooner go shopping rather than visit museums with you.Prefiero ir de compras antes que visitar museos contigo.
d. en lugar de
He always seems to be scolding rather than giving advice.Siempre parece estar regañando en lugar de dar consejos.
e. y no
We need to solve the problems we have rather than create new ones.Necesitamos resolver los problemas que tenemos y no crear nuevos.
