Introduction
The todavía meaning in English is most often ‘still’. That one phrase answers the quiz in your search, but there is more to how todavía behaves and how it shades meaning in Spanish sentences. Understanding it can clear up confusion between options like today, now, still, and soon.
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What Does todavía Meaning Mean?
The todavía meaning is typically ‘still’ when translating into English. It signals that a state or action continues up to the present moment or was ongoing at some past time referenced by the speaker. In your example sentence, todavía no sabemos nada sobre usted, the natural English is ‘we still do not know anything about you’.
The other options in the quiz are today, now, and soon, but none fit as naturally. Today corresponds to hoy, now to ahora, and soon to pronto. So todavía aligns with the sense of ongoing time: still.
Etymology and Origin of todavía
Todavía comes from Old Spanish forms that combined todo and vía or perhaps todo vía, literally meaning ‘all the way’ or ‘entire way’. Over time, usage shifted and the phrase fused into the single adverb todavía, taking on meanings related to continuation or persistence. Language history is rarely tidy, but the path from a phrase meaning ‘all the way’ to ‘still’ makes conceptual sense: something continues fully up to now.
For a formal reference on the modern entry, consult the Royal Spanish Academy entry for todavía at RAE and the usage notes at SpanishDict. These resources show related senses and examples from real usage.
How ‘todavía meaning’ Is Used in Everyday Language
Below are authentic examples that show the todavía meaning across tenses and moods. Each Spanish line is followed by a natural English translation to show why ‘still’ is the best fit.
1. Todavía no sabemos nada sobre usted. — We still don’t know anything about you.
2. Todavía vive en la ciudad. — He still lives in the city.
3. ¿Todavía estás trabajando? — Are you still working?
4. Todavía me acuerdo de esa canción. — I still remember that song.
5. A pesar de la lluvia, todavía salieron a caminar. — Despite the rain, they still went out for a walk.
These examples show todavía marking continuity. Notice how context and tense alter nuance, but the central thread is persistence rather than immediacy or futurity.
todavía in Different Contexts
In informal speech, todavía is extremely common. You will hear it in everyday questions, like ¿todavía estás ahí? In formal writing, it remains acceptable and useful for narrative continuity. It appears in news reports to indicate ongoing investigations or unresolved situations, for example, ‘todavía no hay pruebas concluyentes.’
In some regional varieties, speakers might prefer aún, an alternative that often overlaps with todavía. Aún can sometimes sound slightly more formal or literary, but the difference is subtle and often interchangeable. Context decides which native speakers pick.
Common Misconceptions About todavía
A frequent error is translating todavía as ‘today’ or ‘now’. That mistake comes from confusing temporal adverbs. Hoy means ‘today’, ahora means ‘now’, and pronto means ‘soon’. The todavía meaning remains closest to ‘still’ and sometimes ‘yet’ in negative sentences, as in todavía no sabemos nada — still/no yet.
Another misconception is that todavía always implies a negative or problematic persistence. Not true. You can say ‘todavía está de vacaciones’ in a perfectly neutral or positive sense: ‘he is still on vacation.’ Tone and context govern whether the persistence is good or bad.
Related Words and Phrases
Words that often appear near the todavía meaning include aún, todavía que, and todavía más. Aún can overlap in meaning and often substitutes for todavía. The phrase todavía más strengthens comparison, like ‘even more still’ or ‘still more’ in English, showing gradation rather than simple continuation.
For learning crossroads, compare todavía with ya, which often signals that something has already happened. For example, ‘ya sé’ means ‘I already know’, opposite in timing to ‘todavía no sé’, ‘I still don’t know’ or ‘I don’t know yet.’ This contrast is a small grammatical pivot but a frequent source of mistakes.
Why todavía Matters in 2026
Language learners still ask about the todavía meaning because it appears early and often in Spanish courses and real conversation. Knowing its subtle range helps avoid mistranslations that can change tone or clarity in both casual chat and formal text. As Spanish continues to grow globally, a crisp handle on words like todavía improves comprehension and fluency.
Another reason it matters is machine translation. Automated systems sometimes choose hoy, ahora, or pronto when context is ambiguous. Human understanding of the todavía meaning makes it easier to correct those errors and communicate precisely.
Closing
If you saw ‘todavía’ underlined in the sentence ‘todavía no sabemos nada sobre usted,’ the correct choice among today, now, still, soon is still. In most contexts todavía means ‘still’ or sometimes ‘yet’ in negative clauses. Keep an eye on similar adverbs like aún and ya, and remember that small words carry big meaning.
For further reading on Spanish adverbs and common confusions, see Merriam-Webster on still, and explore practice pages at Spanish vocabulary and still definition on AZDictionary.