Clarifying your meaning
When discussing translations, language nuances, or complex ideas, you will often need to rephrase or clarify your thoughts. In Spanish, two of the most common expressions for this are es decir and o sea.
Using "es decir"
Es decir is a neutral, slightly more formal way to clarify a statement. It translates to "that is to say" and is perfect for adding precision to a nuance or defining a concept.
Notice that in written Spanish, clarifying connectors like es decir are typically set off by commas when they join two related phrases.
| To interpret this we need the context, that is to say, more information. | Para interpretar esto necesitamos el contexto, es decir, más información. |
| I will look for the most precise nuance for you, that is to say, the best option. | Buscaré el matiz más preciso para ti, es decir, la mejor opción. |
| That is a complex concept, that is to say, it is not easy. | Eso es un concepto complejo, es decir, no es fácil. |
Using "o sea"
O sea serves the exact same grammatical function but is generally more conversational. You can translate it as "in other words" or simply "I mean." Use it when you want to clear up an ambiguous expression or provide a simpler alternative.
| You must never translate this expression literally, in other words, word for word. | Nunca debes traducir esta expresión literalmente, o sea, palabra por palabra. |
| What you have told me is very ambiguous, in other words, we can interpret it badly. | Lo que me has dicho es muy ambiguo, o sea, podemos interpretarlo mal. |
| I would use a synonym, I mean, the word is very ambiguous. | Yo usaría un sinónimo, o sea, la palabra es muy ambigua. |
In fact or actually: de hecho, en realidad
De hecho usually backs up what was just said (in fact); en realidad often corrects an appearance (actually): Parece un sinónimo, pero *en realidad significa otra cosa. Careful: *actualmente means currently, not actually.
