7.5K
The word mejor (best) is almost always going to be part of how to say “best” in Spanish. If you’ve ever wanted to pay the compliment “you’re the best” in Spanish, you can tell a person eres el mejor for a man or eres la mejor for a woman. Perhaps you’d even like to say this to your mejor amigo (best friend).
But be careful, because mejor que is used to compare two or more things and the best translation is actually “better than.” Knowing a language goes beyond knowing the most direct translations of the individual words. With Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method and with this guide, you’ll see the word “best” in authentic examples and contexts so you’ll be able to mejorar (to improve) your Spanish in no time.
How do you say ‘best’ in Spanish?
Mejor means “best.” You’ll see this word in all kinds of sentences, especially in praise of the most excellent examples of all kinds of things.
To describe something as “the best” in Spanish, you’ll say either el (the, masculine) or la (the, feminine) before the word mejor, depending on the grammatical gender of what you’re describing.
- ¿Qué equipo de fútbol crees será el mejor este año? = Which soccer team do you think will be the best this year?
- El señor García es el mejor profesor de matemáticas. = Mr. Garcia is the best Math teacher.
- El chocolate es el mejor. = Chocolate is the best.
- La mejor opción sería seguir una dieta equilibrada y hacer ejercicio a menudo. = The best option would be to follow a balanced diet and exercise often.
- Es la mejor ciclista del país. = She’s the best cyclist in the country.
Is mejor masculine or feminine?
The word mejor is, in fact, gender neutral, meaning it only has one singular and plural form. As you can see, when it’s used as a Spanish superlative, mejor is preceded by a definite article el or la, both meaning “the.” In this case, the articles will follow Spanish grammatical gender rules.
- Mi mejor amiga se llama Eileen. = My best friend’s name is Eileen.
- Su mejor película fue La Sonrisa de Mona Lisa. = Her best film was Mona Lisa Smile.
- ¡Es tu mejor idea hasta ahora! = It’s your best idea yet!
The adjective mejor does still follow Spanish pluralization rules by adding “-es” to the ending consonant when describing a plural noun.
- Los mejores atletas del mundo compiten hoy. = The best athletes in the world compete today.
- Las mejores novelas, en mi opinión, son de misterio o ciencia-ficción. = The best novels, in my opinion, are mystery or science-fiction.
What does mejor mean in Spanish?
Mejor means “best,” but there are some instances when it could also mean “better.” Specifically, when followed by que to compare nouns, mejor que means “better than.” It can also be used in its associated verb form, mejorar, which means “to improve” or “to better.”
Mejor que (better than)
You’ll see mejor que used to compare more than one noun, or following a verb, but in these contexts the translation would be “better than.” Use it to communicate your preferences when getting into heated discussions about the best pizza toppings, which cell phone is better, or whether you’re a dog person or cat person.
- La pizza es mejor que la pasta. = Pizza is better than pasta.
- Pienso que viajar en tren es mejor que manejar. = I think traveling by train is better than driving.
- Yo canto mejor que ella. = I sing better than her.
Mejorar (to improve)
The verb mejorar is a regular -AR verb that means “to improve” or “to make something better.” Here are a few examples to see its use in context.
- Para mejorar las notas, estudia un poco cada día en vez de trasnochar antes del examen. = To improve your grades, study a little each day instead of pulling an all-nighter before the test.
- La práctica es la única manera de mejorar. = Practice is the only way to improve.
Using mejor and phrases with this word will enable you to talk easily about favorites and preferences, which is a wonderful beginner-level topic for conversational Spanish that will help you mejorar (to improve) your vocabulary and get to know people better.
Words that often get confused with mejor
There are a few very similar-looking Spanish words, so your mejor opción is to compare them carefully and notice how they’re used.
| Spanish | English | Spanish Example | English Example |
| más | most | La fruta que me gusta más es la sandía. | The fruit I like best is watermelon. |
| a lo mejor | maybe/perhaps | A lo mejor trabajaré en esto el mes que viene. | Maybe I will work on this next month. |
| mayor | older/oldest | Mi hermana mayor se llama Ana. | My older sister’s name is Ana. |
| menor | younger/youngest | Mi hermano menor tiene 16 años. | My youngest brother is 16 years old. |
Common phrases with ‘best’ in Spanish
Sometimes words that are tucked inside of common phrases like “all the best” aren’t going to translate word-for-word. How do you say “best wishes” in Spanish, for example?
It will help to learn idiomatic expressions and set phrases in their authentic contexts. This is a big part of how Rosetta Stone works to get you speaking like a native speaker from the first day.
| Spanish | English |
| como mucho | at best (in the best case scenario) |
| consumir antes de (fecha) | best before (date) (for food) |
| es para bien/es para mejor | it’s for the best |
| esperar lo mejor/cruzar los dedos | to hope for the best/fingers crossed |
| hasta donde yo sé… | To the best of my knowledge… |
| Haz lo que puedas. | Do your best. |
| la mejor opción | the best bet |
| lo mejor que puedas | the best you can |
| Mis mejores deseos, | best wishes (written as a closing of a letter/email) |
| el padrino | the best man (at a wedding – groom’s main attendant) |
| una práctica adecuada | best practice (professional proven method) |
| ¡Qué gane el mejor! | May the best man win! |
| ¡Qué tengas suerte!/¡Mucha suerte! | Best of luck! |
| Sacar el mejor provecho de… | To make the best of… (a situation) |
| Saludos, | All the best, (written as a closing of a letter/email) |
| superar | to “best” someone at something |
| Te deseo lo mejor, | I wish you the best (written as a closing of a letter/email) |
| tener buena conducta | to be on one’s best behavior |
| vencer a | to get the best of (defeat) |
What is the best way to learn Spanish?
The best way to learn a language is by practicing it. Though it’s tempting to start by memorizing long lists of vocabulary and grammar rules, proven methods like Rosetta Stone‘s take you through authentic contexts with frequent vocabulary and structures. As words are introduced and repeated, you’ll catch on to the difference between el mejor/la mejor (the best) and mejor que (better than) without having to stress about the rules.
One of the best advantages to learning in this way is the confidence it will bring when you want to travel and make new mejores amigos from around the world. Learning in a way that sticks will be the best advantage for your Spanish friendships.
