en lugar de
instead
The Spanish phrase 'en lugar de' is used in the place of 'instead' in English. It is used to suggest a contrary action or show an alternative. For instance, 'I had tea en lugar de coffee' would mean 'I had tea instead of coffee'.
Example sentences using: en lugar de
Deberías considerar el autobús en lugar de un taxi
You should consider the bus instead of a taxi
Here, 'en lugar de' is used to suggest an alternative option or method of action for someone else.
Estoy leyendo un libro en lugar de ver la televisión
I am reading a book instead of watching TV
This sentence uses 'en lugar de' to express a personal action choice, highlighting a preference for reading over watching TV.
Ella prefiere el café en lugar de té
She prefers coffee instead of tea
In this sentence, 'en lugar de' is used to indicate a preference about two different beverages.
Manejo un coche eléctrico en lugar de uno de gasolina
I drive an electric car instead of a gasoline one
In this sentence, 'en lugar de' is used to show an eco-friendly choice by choosing an electric car over a conventional one.
Voy a comer vegetales en lugar de carne
I'm going to eat vegetables instead of meat
In this statement, 'en lugar de' is used to show a dietary choice, eating vegetables and refraining from meat.
En lugar de quejarte, podrías ayudar
Instead of complaining, you could help
In this case, 'en lugar de' is used to suggest a productive action to take instead of the unproductive action of complaining.
Decidió estudiar en lugar de salir a jugar
He decided to study instead of going out to play
This sentence uses 'en lugar de' to represent making a decision which prioritizes studying over playing.
Estoy trabajando desde casa en lugar de ir a la oficina
I am working from home instead of going to the office
Here, 'en lugar de' is used in the context of working, showing a preference or necessity to work from home instead of going to the office.
Prefieres el arte moderno en lugar de el tradicional
You prefer modern art instead of the traditional one
In this sentence, 'en lugar de' is used to express personal preference over two contrasting types of art, modern and traditional.
Voy a usar el coche en lugar de la bicicleta hoy
I'm going to use the car instead of the bicycle today
In this sentence, 'en lugar de' is used to express a preference or choose one option over another. It literally translates to 'in place of.'