y
and
Links two things side by side
Encoding Strategies:
repetition
The most useful translation for y is and, because it links two things side by side0.
and
Connects two things together just like the English word "and."
- Pan y mantequilla = Bread and butter
- Español e inglés = Spanish and English ('y' becomes 'e' before words starting with an "ee" sound)
- Me gustan los perros, los gatos y los pájaros = I like dogs, cats, and birds
and (emphatic opener)
Used at the beginning of a sentence to add emphasis to what follows. Rather than connecting things together, the 'y' just heightens what comes afterwards.
- ¡Y pensar que confié en él! = And to think I trusted him!
- ¿Y si fuera otra la causa? = And what if the cause were something else?