a la vez

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /a la ˈbeθ/ [a la ˈβ̞eθ]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /a la ˈbes/ [a la ˈβ̞es]
• Syllabification: a la vez
• Homophone: Alavés

Adverb

a la vez

1. (idiomatic) at once; at a time, at the same time
   • 2013, El sueño de Morfeo, Ni tú ni yo:

     Me haces sentir absurda y insegura a la vez

     You make me feel absurd and uncertain at the same time

   • "La mirada del argentino expresaba a la vez fascinación y fastidio." (The Argentinian's gaze expressed at once fascination and annoyance.) --Irene Jimenes, Lugares Comunes, "En la universidad", 2007.

   un día a la vez ― one day at a time

   • 1888, Eduardo Acevedo Díaz, Ismael:

     De allí las supersticiones torpes, que a la vez que deprimían su conciencia moral, endurecían la fibra, y lo arrastraban a la acción trágica y al romántico denuedo

     From the superstitious gossip, which at the same time diminished one's moral conscience, strengthened the fiber, and dragged them to tragic action and romantic passion.

Further reading

• “a la vez”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10