O Sea

[Aprendo]

IMO, this is a very good article on the uses of "o sea."

If this is in the wrong room admin, please move it and apologies.

How often do the native speakers use "O Sea?" Only 2 teachers I've had used it....it is common, however.....Clarify anyone?


Thanks.

Link: https://www.spanish.academy/blog/how-to-use-o-sea-to-sound-like-a-native-spanish-speaker/

[Rusty]

I've heard and used this expression myself, not realizing at the time that I was using a colloquial phrase. It is commonly used in Central America.

The alternatives the article suggests are universally understood, so you can't go wrong with them.

[poli]

This interests me, because I have always thought that o sea meant albeit. Now I see that it has additional meanings.

[pinosilano]

https://www.diccionariodedudas.com/o-sea-osea-u-osea/

Espero que sirva:thinking:

https://www.spanishdict.com/translate/o%20sea

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

That's a pretty good explanation.
It does have a formal meaning, when used as "es decir" or "therefore", but in Mexico its awfully common as a filler word.

On social networks, you will find "osea" or even "ósea" (which actually means "related to bones") instead, mostly because people don't reflect on how it should be written and because they let autocorrect do its thing. :D


Some very colloquial examples:

- Juan me llamó tres veces en la noche. O sea. (If your conversation partner is aware of the full context, you can even leave the expression all alone and everything else is already understood.)
Juan called me three times last night. Like, seriously? why won't he get I'm not interested in talking to him?

- El perro ha estado ladrando todo el día. O sea, ¿qué onda con su vida?
The dog has been barking all day long. I mean, what's wrong with him?


- Mis papás quieren que vaya de vacaciones con ellos. ¡O sea, no!
My parents want me to go on vacation with them. Noway!


- No estoy loco por querer saltar en paracaídas. O sea, sí estoy loco, pero no por eso.
I'm not crazy for wanting to go parachuting. Ok, I'm crazy, but that is not the reason why. ;)