In Spanish we can express a choice between two alternatives by using the conjunctions:
ya sea.../ya fuera... + o...
Learn how to use ya sea/ya fuera in Spanish
See the following examples:
No tengo más remedio que pagar la multa, ya sea todo de golpe o a plazos.I have no alternative but to pay the fine, either in one go or in installments.
Tienes que comer algo ligero, ya sea una tortilla o una ensalada.You need to eat something light, either an omelette or a salad.
We use:
- ya sea with actions that refer to the present or the future
- ya fuera with actions that refer to the past.
Sometimes "ya" is omitted, and the structure admits some flexibility, for example, you can also use:
sea..., sea...
fuera...,fuera...
sea..., o...
fuera...,o...
Note that "sea" and "fuera" agree with what they refer to, i.e. they change to the plural form "sean" and "fueran" if what follows is a plural noun or plural adjective. For example:
Here is a list with other correlative conjunctions in Spanish.
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Examples and resources
Sea por dinero o por amor, ella terminará casándose con él.Whether driven by money or by love, she will end up marrying him.
No tengo más remedio que pagar la multa, ya sea todo de golpe o a plazos.I have no alternative but to pay the fine, either in one go or in installments.
Tienes que comer algo ligero, ya sea una tortilla o una ensalada.You need to eat something light, either an omelette or a salad.
Tenía que conseguir cualquier trabajo, ya fuera de día o de noche.I had to get a job, either a day job or a night job.
Te dije que mi hijo iba a la universidad, ya fuera de forma voluntaria u obligado.I told you my son would go to university, be it by choice or by obligation.
A Maribel le gustan los hombres fuertes, ya sean altos o bajos.Maribel likes strong men, whether they are short or tall [lit: tall or short].
