Entonces, ¿es todo?
So, is that it?
Everything has been talked through, and entonces opens the question that checks whether it's over.
From Suits · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "then" in Spanish
entonces
adverbnever changesstress on TON
"Then" in Spanish is entonces when you mean "so" or "in that case": Entonces, vamos. For the next step in a sequence, Spanish uses luego or después instead. Entonces can also point to a moment in time, as in desde entonces, since then.
Hear "entonces" in real movie scenes
Both lines draw a conclusion. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Bueno, entonces...
Okay, then...
Something new has just come out, and bueno, entonces starts the reply that turns it into a decision.
From Paranoia · Spanish audio
Entonces, luego or después: which "then"?
English has one word for these ideas. Spanish picks a different one for each.
| Spanish | English | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| entonces | so, in that case | You draw a conclusion from what you just heard: Entonces, vamos. |
| luego | then, next | You put steps in order: Primero como y luego trabajo. |
| después | afterward, later | Something comes after another event: Comemos y después vamos al cine. |
| desde entonces | since then | You count from a moment in the past. |
| hasta entonces | until then | You wait for a moment that's coming. |
| en aquel entonces | back then | You tell a story about the past. |
Tip: When you list what happens first, second and third, use luego or después between the steps and keep entonces for the conclusion.
Grammar: using entonces
Four points for the word that links one idea to the next.
One form, often a comma
Entonces never changes. At the start of a sentence it usually takes a comma: Entonces, es tu momento.So, in that case
It replies to what someone just told you. Pues últimamente no tengo dinero. Entonces, voy con mi primo.At that time
With a time meaning it points to a moment: desde entonces (since then), hasta entonces (until then), en aquel entonces (back then).The c in -ces
In Latin America the ce sounds like s: en-TOHN-sehs. Most speakers in Spain give it a th sound, as in thin.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Entonces, vamos.
Let's go, then.
Entonces, voy con mi primo.
Then I'll go with my cousin.
Entonces, este es tu concierto.
So this is your concert.
Entonces, es tu momento.
Then it's your moment.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Primero como, entonces trabajo. (listing steps)
✓Primero como, luego trabajo.
For the next step in a sequence, Spanish uses luego or después.
✗desde luego (meaning since then)
✓desde entonces
Desde luego means "of course", so it changes what you say.
✗entonses
✓entonces
Many speakers pronounce an s sound, but the spelling keeps the c.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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How to remember it
English then ends in -en and entonces starts with en-. Link the two, and a reply that opens with en- tells you a conclusion is on its way.
Questions about "then" in Spanish
How do you say then in Spanish?
Entonces when you mean so or in that case: Entonces, vamos. For the next step in a sequence, say luego or después.
What's the difference between entonces and luego?
Entonces draws a conclusion or points to a moment in time. Luego puts events in order: Primero estudio y luego como.
How do you say "back then" in Spanish?
En aquel entonces, and you'll also hear en ese entonces. For since then, say desde entonces.
How do you pronounce entonces?
Say en-TOHN-sehs, with the stress on the middle syllable. In most of Spain the c sounds like th: en-TOHN-thehs.
