One of the hallmarks of fluent speech — in any language — is the ability to rephrase on the fly. You say something, realize it was not quite right, and immediately reformulate: "or rather," "what I mean is," "in other words." Spanish has a rich inventory of markers for this, ranging from the casual o sea (covered on its own page) to the formal esto es and a saber. Mastering these markers transforms your speech from something that sounds rehearsed into something that sounds alive — a mind thinking in real time.
This page organizes reformulation markers by function: paraphrasing (saying the same thing differently), self-correcting (fixing what you just said), specifying (narrowing down), and exemplifying (illustrating with cases). Within each category, the markers are ordered from most casual to most formal.
Paraphrasing markers
These markers introduce a restatement — you are about to say the same thing in different words.
Es decir (that is to say)
The most common formal reformulator. It bridges two expressions of the same idea, with the second being clearer or more explicit.
Es bilingüe, es decir, habla dos idiomas con fluidez.
She's bilingual, that is to say, she speaks two languages fluently.
El proyecto fue cancelado, es decir, no se va a hacer.
The project was canceled — in other words, it's not going to happen.
Es un políglota, es decir, domina varios idiomas.
He's a polyglot, that is, he masters several languages.
Register: Neutral to formal. Equally at home in conversation, writing, presentations, and journalism. It is the safe, all-purpose paraphrasing marker.
En otras palabras (in other words)
Slightly more emphatic than es decir — it signals that the reformulation is coming because the first version might have been unclear or insufficient.
No cumplieron con los requisitos. En otras palabras, fueron descalificados.
They didn't meet the requirements. In other words, they were disqualified.
El margen de ganancia es mínimo. En otras palabras, no vale la pena.
The profit margin is minimal. In other words, it's not worth it.
Register: Formal. Common in academic writing, journalism, and structured speech.
Dicho de otro modo (put another way)
More literary and formal than en otras palabras. It often introduces a completely different metaphor or angle on the same idea.
La empresa está en crisis. Dicho de otro modo, se están hundiendo.
The company is in crisis. Put another way, they're sinking.
No hay consenso. Dicho de otro modo, cada quien jala para su lado.
There's no consensus. Put differently, everyone's pulling in their own direction.
Register: Formal to literary. Good for essays and presentations.
O sea (I mean / that is)
The casual, spoken-language workhorse of reformulation — covered fully in its own page. Here we note its place in the register spectrum: it is the informal equivalent of es decir.
Está lejos, o sea, a dos horas de acá.
It's far, I mean, two hours from here.
Register: Informal to casual. Dominant in speech; rare in formal writing.
Self-correction markers
These markers signal that you are fixing what you just said — the next version replaces the previous one.
Mejor dicho (or rather / more accurately)
The most common self-correction marker. It tells the listener: "Scratch that — this is what I actually mean."
Llegó tarde, mejor dicho, no llegó.
He arrived late — or rather, he didn't arrive at all.
Es mi amiga, mejor dicho, era mi amiga.
She's my friend — or rather, she was my friend.
Salimos el viernes, mejor dicho, el sábado.
We're going out Friday — or rather, Saturday.
Register: Neutral. Works in both speech and writing.
Más bien (rather / more like)
Introduces a more precise or more accurate version of what was just said. Less abrupt than mejor dicho — it often signals a nuance rather than a full correction.
No es un problema, más bien es una oportunidad.
It's not a problem — rather, it's an opportunity.
Más bien diría que es complicado.
I'd rather say it's complicated.
Register: Neutral. Very frequent in both speech and writing.
Digo (I mean — self-repair)
The most casual self-correction: you simply say digo and then provide the correct version. It is the equivalent of English "I mean" when you catch yourself mid-mistake.
Nos vemos el martes, digo, el miércoles.
See you Tuesday — I mean, Wednesday.
Compré tres, digo, cuatro.
I bought three — I mean, four.
Register: Casual/spoken only. Never appears in writing.
Bueno (well — hedging repair)
While primarily a discourse marker for other functions, bueno frequently serves as a soft self-correction — "well, actually..."
Es fácil. Bueno, no tan fácil.
It's easy. Well, not that easy.
Todos estuvieron de acuerdo. Bueno, casi todos.
Everyone agreed. Well, almost everyone.
Specifying markers
These markers narrow down a general statement by providing specifics.
A saber (namely)
Introduces a specific list or enumeration of what was mentioned in general terms. Very formal.
Hay tres requisitos, a saber: experiencia, título y disponibilidad.
There are three requirements, namely: experience, a degree, and availability.
Se evaluarán varios factores, a saber: el costo, el impacto ambiental y la viabilidad técnica.
Several factors will be evaluated, namely: cost, environmental impact, and technical feasibility.
Register: Formal/academic. Rare in casual speech.
Esto es (that is)
Slightly more formal than es decir, and used more for specification than for paraphrasing. It clarifies by defining.
La fecha límite es el 15 de marzo, esto es, dentro de dos semanas.
The deadline is March 15th, that is, in two weeks.
El quórum, esto es, el número mínimo de asistentes, no se alcanzó.
The quorum, that is, the minimum number of attendees, was not reached.
Register: Formal. Common in legal, academic, and technical texts.
En concreto / Concretamente (specifically)
Narrows from the general to the particular.
Hay varios problemas. En concreto, el presupuesto y los plazos.
There are several problems. Specifically, the budget and the deadlines.
Me preocupa la situación, concretamente la falta de personal.
I'm concerned about the situation — specifically, the lack of staff.
Para ser más preciso/a (to be more precise)
A transparent and explicit way to introduce a specification.
Fue hace mucho. Para ser más preciso, hace diez años.
It was a long time ago. To be more precise, ten years ago.
Costó mucho dinero. Para ser más precisa, costó el doble del presupuesto.
It cost a lot of money. To be more precise, it cost twice the budget.
Exemplifying markers
These markers introduce examples that illustrate a general point.
Por ejemplo (for example)
The universal exemplifier. No surprises here — it works exactly as you would expect.
Hay muchas opciones, por ejemplo, ir a la playa o quedarnos en casa.
There are many options, for example, going to the beach or staying home.
A modo de ejemplo (by way of example)
More formal than por ejemplo. Used in academic and professional contexts.
A modo de ejemplo, veamos el caso de Chile.
By way of example, let's look at the case of Chile.
Pongamos por caso (let's say / take for instance)
Introduces a hypothetical or illustrative example. More interactive and conversational than por ejemplo.
Pongamos por caso que llueve mañana. ¿Qué hacemos?
Let's say it rains tomorrow. What do we do?
Pongamos por caso una familia de cuatro personas.
Take for instance a family of four.
Position in the sentence
Most reformulation markers can appear in three positions:
| Position | Example |
|---|---|
| Between clauses (most common) | Es bilingüe, es decir, habla dos idiomas. |
| At the start of a sentence | Es decir, habla dos idiomas. |
| Parenthetical (between commas) | La fecha, es decir, el 15 de marzo, no cambia. |
A saber almost always introduces a list and is followed by a colon. Mejor dicho and más bien typically appear between the original statement and the correction, with no special punctuation beyond a comma or dash.
Register summary table
| Marker | Function | Register |
|---|---|---|
| o sea | paraphrase | casual/informal |
| es decir | paraphrase | neutral/formal |
| en otras palabras | paraphrase | formal |
| dicho de otro modo | paraphrase | formal/literary |
| mejor dicho | self-correction | neutral |
| más bien | self-correction (nuance) | neutral |
| digo | self-correction (mistake) | casual/spoken |
| bueno | soft repair | casual |
| a saber | specification (list) | formal/academic |
| esto es | specification (definition) | formal |
| en concreto | specification | neutral/formal |
| para ser más preciso/a | specification | neutral |
| por ejemplo | exemplification | neutral |
| a modo de ejemplo | exemplification | formal |
| pongamos por caso | exemplification | neutral/formal |
Common mistakes
❌ Mejor decido, no viene.
Attempted: Or rather, he's not coming. (The marker is mejor dicho, not mejor decido.)
✅ Mejor dicho, no viene.
Or rather, he's not coming.
❌ Es decir que ella no habla español?
Attempted: So she doesn't speak Spanish? (For drawing conclusions, use o sea que, not es decir que — though es decir que exists in formal contexts.)
✅ O sea que ella no habla español?
So she doesn't speak Spanish?
❌ A saber, me gusta el cine.
Attempted: Namely, I like movies. (A saber introduces lists, not single items or statements.)
✅ Me gustan varias cosas, a saber: el cine, la música y los libros.
I like several things, namely: movies, music, and books.
Related pages
- O Sea — the casual reformulator in depth
- Discourse Markers Overview — the full system
- Formal Connectors — connectors for academic and professional writing
- Hedging Strategies — softening assertions and managing certainty
Related Topics
- O SeaB1 — The most overused clarifier in Latin American Spanish — 'I mean', 'that is to say', 'in other words'.
- Discourse Markers OverviewB1 — A tour of the little words — pues, bueno, o sea, a ver — that make Spanish sound natural.
- Formal Written Discourse ConnectorsC1 — High-register connectors for academic, professional, and journalistic writing — organized by function.
- Hedging and Epistemic DistancingC1 — Advanced hedging beyond creo que — the grammar of uncertainty, diplomatic communication, and showing you're not 100% sure.