- Master todo/toda/todos/todas as adjectives with agreement rules
- Use todo as a pronoun (everything/all)
- Understand the difference between todo el (singular) and todos los (plural)
- Learn essential expressions: sobre todo, del todo, todo el mundo
- Master todo lo que (everything that/all that) patterns
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Todo: Complete Usage Guide
What You'll Learn
Overview / Usage
Todo is one of the most versatile words in Spanish, meaning "all", "every", or "everything". It changes form to agree with the noun it modifies (todo/toda/todos/todas), and can function as both an adjective and a pronoun. Understanding its different uses is essential for natural Spanish.
🎯 Quick Overview
As Adjective (Singular)
Todo el día
All day / The whole day
As Adjective (Plural)
Todos los días
Every day
As Pronoun
Todo está bien
Everything is fine
The key to mastering todo is understanding when it functions as an adjective (modifying a noun and requiring agreement) versus when it functions as a pronoun (standing alone and meaning "everything" or "all").
Structure & Formation
✓ Part 1: Todo as an Adjective - Agreement Forms
When todo functions as an adjective, it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. It typically appears with the definite article (el, la, los, las).
📋 Agreement Patterns
todo + el + noun
todo el libro
the whole book / all the book
(masculine singular)
toda + la + noun
toda la casa
the whole house / all the house
(feminine singular)
todos + los + nouns
todos los días
every day / all the days
(masculine plural)
todas + las + nouns
todas las personas
all the people
(feminine plural)
Examples with Singular Forms
Trabajé todo el día
I worked all day (the whole day)
Leí todo el libro
I read the whole book
Pasamos toda la semana en Madrid
We spent the whole week in Madrid
Toda la comida estaba deliciosa
All the food was delicious
Examples with Plural Forms
Todos los días voy al gimnasio
Every day I go to the gym
Visito a todos los pacientes
I visit all the patients
Todas las noches leo antes de dormir
Every night I read before sleeping
Todas las ventanas están abiertas
All the windows are open
💡 Key Point: With singular nouns, use todo el/toda la (the whole/all of the). With plural nouns, use todos los/todas las (all/every).
🔵 Part 2: Todo as a Pronoun
When todo functions as a pronoun, it stands alone without a noun and typically means "everything" (singular) or "everyone/all" (plural). The pronoun forms also agree in gender and number.
Pronoun Forms
Singular: Todo (everything)
Todo está bien
Everything is fine
Lo sé todo
I know everything
Todo me parece interesante
Everything seems interesting to me
No entiendo todo
I don't understand everything
Plural: Todos/Todas (everyone/all)
Todos vinieron a la fiesta
Everyone came to the party
Todas son profesoras
They are all teachers (feminine)
Todos están de acuerdo
Everyone agrees
Quiero ver a todas
I want to see all of them (feminine)
💡 Important: When using todos/todas as pronouns referring to people, they agree in gender with the group. Use todos for all-male or mixed groups,todas for all-female groups.
⭐ Part 3: Common Expressions with Todo
Spanish has many essential expressions using todo. These are fixed phrases that you should learn as complete units.
📋 Essential Expressions
sobre todo
above all, especially
Me gusta la música, sobre todo el jazz
I like music, especially jazz
Sobre todo, sé honesto
Above all, be honest
del todo
completely, entirely
No estoy del todo seguro
I'm not completely sure
La película no me gustó del todo
I didn't like the film entirely
todo el mundo
everybody, everyone
Todo el mundo sabe eso
Everybody knows that
Todo el mundo está invitado
Everyone is invited
todo lo que
everything that, all that
Hice todo lo que pude
I did everything that I could
Todo lo que necesitas es amor
All you need is love
ante todo
first of all, above all
Ante todo, debemos ser responsables
First of all, we must be responsible
Ante todo, cuida tu salud
Above all, take care of your health
después de todo
after all
Después de todo, tenía razón
After all, he was right
No fue tan difícil, después de todo
It wasn't so difficult after all
a pesar de todo
in spite of everything
A pesar de todo, seguimos adelante
In spite of everything, we keep going
A pesar de todo, soy feliz
In spite of everything, I'm happy
con todo
nevertheless, even so
Con todo, lo intentaré
Nevertheless, I'll try
Es difícil, pero con todo, es posible
It's difficult, but even so, it's possible
🔍 Part 4: Todo el vs Todos los - Understanding the Difference
One of the most common questions is when to use todo el/toda la (singular) versus todos los/todas las (plural). The key is understanding what you're emphasizing.
Todo el/Toda la (Singular)
Use with singular nouns to mean "the whole" or "all of the" - emphasizing completeness or entirety.
todo el día
the whole day / all day
toda la noche
the whole night / all night
todo el mundo
the whole world / everybody
toda la ciudad
the whole city
Todos los/Todas las (Plural)
Use with plural nouns to mean "all" or "every" - emphasizing each individual member of a group.
todos los días
every day / all the days
todas las noches
every night / all the nights
todos los estudiantes
all the students
todas las ciudades
all the cities
💡 Key Difference:
• todo el día = the whole day (emphasis on the entirety, one continuous period)
• todos los días = every day (emphasis on each individual day, repeated instances)
• todos los días = every day (emphasis on each individual day, repeated instances)
Examples
💬 Real-Life Examples
Daily Routines
Trabajo todo el día
I work all day
Voy al gimnasio todos los días
I go to the gym every day
Estudio toda la tarde
I study all afternoon
Todas las mañanas desayuno café
Every morning I have coffee for breakfast
Conversations
¿Vinieron todos?
Did everyone come?
Sí, todo está listo
Yes, everything is ready
Todo el mundo lo sabe
Everybody knows it
Sobre todo, sé paciente
Above all, be patient
Expressions in Context
Después de todo, no fue tan difícil
After all, it wasn't so difficult
Hice todo lo que pude
I did everything I could
A pesar de todo, estoy contento
In spite of everything, I'm happy
No estoy del todo seguro
I'm not completely sure
Gotchas / Common Mistakes
⚠️ Don't Forget the Article!
When using todo as an adjective, you almost always need the definite article (el, la, los, las):
✗ Wrong:
Trabajo todo día
✓ Correct:
Trabajo todo el día
I work all day
🔄 Todo el mundo = Singular!
Even though "todo el mundo" means "everybody", it's grammatically singular:
✗ Wrong:
Todo el mundo están aquí
✓ Correct:
Todo el mundo está aquí
Everybody is here
💡 Agreement with Pronouns!
When todos/todas refers to people, it must agree in gender:
Todos vinieron (masculine or mixed group)
Everyone came (all-male or mixed group)
Todas vinieron (feminine group)
Everyone came (all-female group)
📝 Todo vs Muy (Very)!
Don't confuse "todo" with "muy" (very). They're completely different:
Es todo un éxito
It's quite a success (emphasis: "all" a success)
Es muy exitoso
It's very successful
🔍 Del todo = Completely!
"Del todo" is an adverbial phrase meaning "completely" - often used in negative sentences:
No estoy del todo convencido
I'm not completely convinced
La respuesta no es del todo correcta
The answer isn't completely correct
⚡ Sobre todo = Especially!
"Sobre todo" is a very common phrase meaning "especially" or "above all":
Me gusta viajar, sobre todo a España
I like to travel, especially to Spain
Sobre todo, no olvides tu pasaporte
Above all, don't forget your passport
Quick Test / Mini Quiz
📝 Interactive Todo Quiz
Test your knowledge of todo/toda/todos/todas!
1
Complete: Trabajo _____ día (I work all day)
2
Complete: Voy al gimnasio _____ días (I go to the gym every day)
3
Complete: _____ está bien (Everything is fine)
4
Complete: _____ vinieron a la fiesta (Everyone came to the party - mixed group)
5
Which expression means 'especially' or 'above all'?
6
Complete: No estoy _____ seguro (I'm not completely sure)
7
Complete: _____ mundo sabe eso (Everybody knows that)
8
Complete: Hice _____ pude (I did everything I could)
Useful Resources
Coming soon...