Question 1

How does mejor dicho function in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Mejor dicho translates literally to 'better said', but in English we usually translate it as 'or rather'. It is a reformulation marker. In this sentence, the speaker uses it to instantly correct or upgrade their own previous word choice (sociable) to a more accurate or blunt one (hipócrita).

Question 2

Could I use más bien instead of mejor dicho here?

Accepted Answer

You could, but it changes the flavor slightly. Mejor dicho specifically corrects the exact words you just used. Más bien means something closer to 'rather' or 'actually', and is more often used to contradict a false assumption. Here, mejor dicho is the most natural fit because the speaker is actively catching themselves and replacing their own label.

Question 3

If we were talking about a man, would it be hipócrito?

Accepted Answer

No, it would still be hipócrita. Adjectives ending in -ista and some ending in -ita or -ta (like hipócrita, idiota, egoísta) are invariable, meaning they stay the same for both masculine and feminine subjects. You would just change the pronoun, for example: ¿Él es hipócrita?

Question 4

Why is the pronoun ella used in the first question but dropped in the second?

Accepted Answer

Once the subject (ella) is established in the first clause, Spanish naturally drops it in the following clauses to avoid repetition. Adding it again before es hipócrita would sound unnaturally repetitive unless you were specifically contrasting her with someone else.

¿Ella es sociable? O, mejor dicho, ¿es hipócrita?

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