Skip to content
0 of 7 daysNothing due

Phrase · 😏 Irony and understatement

El hotel no es precisamente barato.

The hotel isn't exactly cheap.

C2understatement (criticism)Audio · coming soon
Practise this phrase

Why every word is where it is

Eldeterminerthemasc. · sing. · definitehotelnounhotelmasc. · sing.no1adverbnotes2verbisser · present · 3rd sing.precisamente1adverbexactlybarato2adjectivecheapmasc. · sing..
  • no → precisamente: no … precisamente: not exactly
  • barato → hotel: barato agrees with hotel
  • es → barato: ser + adjective

Why it's built this way

The notes match the numbers above.

  1. 1
    no es precisamente + adjective = it isn't exactly…: understatement that means the opposite (it's expensive). Advanced emphatic and exclamative structures →
  2. 2
    ser + adjective for a characteristic of the hotel; barato agrees with hotel. Ser vs estar I: characteristics and states →

Variations

  • El hotel no es lo que se dice barato.
  • El hotel no es barato que digamos.
  • El hotel no es nada barato.