fuera

Definition & meaning

Fuera has several meanings depending on context:

• Outside or out: Indicates a place beyond an enclosed or defined space, or movement toward it.
  Está fuera. — “It’s outside.”
• Out! or Get out!: An exclamation ordering someone or something to leave.
  ¡Fuera de aquí! — “Get out of here!”
• Was, were, went, or would be: A verb form whose translation depends on context.
  Si fuera posible… — “If it were possible…”

Grammar & Word origin

As an adverb, fuera comes from Latin foras, meaning “outside.”

As a verb, fuera is the imperfect subjunctive form of both ser ↗ (“to be”) and ir ↗ (“to go”). It is used with yo, él, ella, and usted. Its meaning depends on the verb intended and the context:

• Si yo fuera médico… — “If I were a doctor…”
• Si ella fuera al médico… — “If she went to the doctor…”

Synonyms & antonyms

For the sense “outside”:

• Synonym: afuera ↗ also means “outside” or “out.” Usage varies by region; it is often used for movement outward.
• Antonyms: dentro ↗ and adentro ↗ mean “inside” or “in.”

Common phrases & collocations

• fuera de ↗ — “outside of,” “out of,” or “apart from,” depending on context.
• por fuera ↗ — “on the outside.”
• de fuera ↗ — “from outside” or “from elsewhere.”
• fuera de lugar ↗ — “out of place” or “inappropriate.”