A veces necesito estar a solas para descansar.

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Breakdown of A veces necesito estar a solas para descansar.

• estar: to be
• descansar: to rest
• a veces: sometimes

Questions & Answers about A veces necesito estar a solas para descansar.

What does A veces literally mean, and is it the same as sometimes in English?

A veces literally means at times or on occasions, but in normal English it’s just translated as sometimes.

• A veces = Sometimes / At times
• It’s a very common, neutral way to say sometimes in Spanish.
• You may also see a veces at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence, just like sometimes in English:
  • A veces necesito estar a solas para descansar.
  • Necesito, a veces, estar a solas para descansar.
  • Necesito estar a solas para descansar a veces. (less common, but possible)

Could I say algunas veces instead of a veces? Is there a difference?

You can say algunas veces, and it’s still correct. The difference is subtle:

• A veces = the default, most common way to say sometimes.
• Algunas veces = some times / some occasions; can sound a bit more counted or specific.

In most everyday situations, a veces is more natural and more frequent than algunas veces. In your sentence, A veces necesito… is the most idiomatic choice.

Why is it necesito estar and not something like necesito de estar?