# Either (of them) is fine



## hp100

How do you say this in Spanish - "either of them is fine"?

I found "cualquiera de los dos me conviene", but I have a feeling there is probably a more natural way. Thanks in advance


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## Elixabete

Cualquiera ( de los dos) está bien / me vale / me sirve. It depends on the context.


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## hp100

Thanks Elixabete!


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## Daniel06

¿La frase en inglés sólo funciona con dos o tambien funcionaria con más de dos opciones?


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## Elixabete

Daniel06 said:


> ¿La frase en inglés sólo funciona con dos o tambien funcionaria con más de dos opciones?


Con dos. Con más opciones " any of them".


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## chileno

hmmm... in my mind I have:

Either of *them* will work = cualquiera de *ellos* (two or more)....

Either of the two will work = cualquiera de los dos.

Am I wrong?


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## Elixabete

chileno said:


> hmmm... in my mind I have:
> 
> Either of *them* will work = cualquiera de *ellos* (two or more)....
> 
> Either of the two will work = cualquiera de los dos.
> 
> Am I wrong?


either - English-Spanish Dictionary - WordReference.com


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## chileno

Elixabete said:


> either - English-Spanish Dictionary - WordReference.com



That I know...


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## inib

chileno said:


> That I know...


I don't know why you say you already know that when it answers your question in post #6.


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## sound shift

chileno said:


> Either of *them* will work = cualquiera de *ellos* (two or more)....
> Am I wrong?


I'm afraid you are. "Either"  means "of two". It can't mean "of three, four, five, etc."


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## Elixabete

I've just realised what's confusing chileno,  "them" in other contexts can refer to many ( more than two),true, it's a plural pronoun (refers to more than one). However, that doesn't mean that it can refer to any number of X in every context, when it's preceded by "either", "them" always means two (which is plural after all).


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## chileno

Not confused... the reply is for the English audience...


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## eno2

> either
> adverb & conjunction
> 1Used before the first of two *(or occasionally more) *given alternatives (the other being introduced by ‘or’)
> 
> _‘either I accompany you to your room or I wait here’
> ‘available in either black or white’_


either - definition of either in English | Oxford Dictionaries


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## inib

Yes Eno, we might *occasionally *say something like _"Either you stay at home or you come with me...or_ (practically as an afterthought) _you could go with them_.
But note that your quote says 





> 1Used* before* the first of two (or occasionally more)* given alternatives*


I've now changed the bold type and you will probably see that this is not relevant here (= in _either of them_).
Unless anyone can give us a relevant example, I still believe that "either of them" always (dare I use the word "always"?) means _either one of the *two* = this one or that one - _no more options_._
Chileno, please don't be so cryptic. I really don't know what you mean or who you are addressing, though by "the English audience" I suppose I'm included.


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## eno2

It's not me, it's Oxford dicc that cautiously allows for more. Either playing with bold or being bold won't change that.
As for examples, I'm not going to look for ones. They will be too occasionally found. 
Occasionally, it's either chose from more or from two.


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## inib

What I mean, Eno, is that we might (occasionally) add a third alternative action/option when we say "Either we do this, that (or the other)" but I can't remember ever having come across an example of "either of them" which contemplates more than two people/things represented by the pronoun "them" - not even as an afterthought. 
_1.  A: Who's going to be your driver - Peter or John?
     B: I don't really care. Either of them

2  A: Who's going to be your driver - Peter, John ...or Mark?
    B: I don't really care. Either of them.
_
In my opinion, dialogue 1 is possible and dialogue 2 is not.


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## eno2

I tend to agree because I wouldn't dare to make your example 2 a practice of mine. I was just surprised by the expansion/extension of the normal use by the definition. But then dictionaries go often further than normal practice. So I can't judge really. (also not as a non native).


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## inib

eno2 said:


> I tend to agree because I wouldn't dare to make your example 2 a practice of mine. I was just surprised by the expansion/extension of the normal use by the definition. But then dictionaries go often further than normal practice. So I can't judge really. (also not as a non native).


Fine, Eno, both or either of us (not the same thing) may yet be proven wrong!


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## Elixabete

inib said:


> What I mean, Eno, is that we might (occasionally) add a third alternative action/option when we say "Either we do this, that (or the other)" but I can't remember ever having come across an example of "either of them" which contemplates more than two people/things represented by the pronoun "them" - not even as an afterthought.
> _1.  A: Who's going to be your driver - Peter or John?
> B: I don't really care. Either of them
> 
> 2  A: Who's going to be your driver - Peter, John ...or Mark?
> B: I don't really care. Either of them.
> _
> In my opinion, dialogue 1 is possible and dialogue 2 is not.


I agree with you, and I "d like  to add than in most/ many of these highly occasional  cases in which another  option is added there is an underlying duplicity, for instance: " if you don't like meat you can have either fish or green salad... or maybe tomato salad", that is , you can have either fish or  some kind of salad ( and you name the types). Or in your example " you can  either stay home or go out with your friends ...or even go shopping with me." that is, you can either stay home or go out.


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## eno2

Got troubles know with the meaning of 'duplicity'..


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## Elixabete

eno2 said:


> Not that it matters very much, because we all coincide that either is normally between two alternatives, but  what do you mean by  'duplicity' ? The archaic sense of
> 'the state of being double' (and what does that mean?) Or 'deception'?  I cannot relate either of them to 'occasionally more alternatives'.


Yes, I should have said duality, and if you read my post carefully you will understand that what I mean is that in most of those rare occasions in which someone uses " either" with three options , the  two " or " options are subtypes of a single option, so underlying the three options, in fact there are just two more general ones, and that's why either can be used, or as inib said when someone is expressing afterthoughts.


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## eno2

Duality. Got it now. I read your post carefully, that's why I detected something puzzling.
How would you phrase : 'it's either you or me or inib  that is right', without 'either'?
You'd have to say: 'You or me or inib: only one of us can be right'.
Or: 
'it's either escape, starve or  commit suicide.'
You'd have to drop either alltogether:
'It's escape or starve or commit suicide'.


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## Elixabete

eno2 said:


> Duality. Got it now. I read your post carefully, that's why I detected something puzzling.
> 
> How would you phrase : 'it's either you or me or inib  that is right' without 'either'?
> 
> You'd have to say: 'You or me or inib: only one of us is right'.


I've been having a look and apparently " either" refers exclusively to two when It is an adjective ( either boy could help you / any of the two boys) or a pronoun ( I'll have either ( of them)/ any of the two), however,  it can introduce two or more choices when it is a conjuction ( like in the examples with three options inib and I provided above, so that's why they are correct) 
either conjunction Significado en Diccionario para estudiantes
In " either of them" , " either" is a pronoun so it can only mean any of two.


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## eno2

...Examples which were destined to claim underlying duality. Which is not necessarily so . 
Mark: The definition with 'occasionally more given alternatives' of Oxford is given for adverb & conjunction. 
Either can also be Determiner and Pronoun. That's always one or the other of two. 


This is going to lead to _either_ giving in _or_ escaping _or_ endlessly prolonging the topic.


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## Elixabete

eno2 said:


> ...Examples which were destined to claim underlying duality. Which is not necessarily so . And yes, I was also looking into the different grammatical functions of either too.
> Mark: The definition of Oxford is given for adverb & conjunction.
> 
> 
> This is going to lead to either giving in or escaping or endlessly prolonging the topic.


Examples which I tried to justify giving a plausible explanation in my opinion, an opinion which I have taken the trouble to check and correct  after noticing the difference in grammar category  . Unlike  you with the  examples you didn't care to supply and therefore you had no need to justify why they were correct , and what the difference was between them and the OP's . We've answered the OP's question correctly, I've tried to solve the puzzle you've introduced with a dictionary  entry that was inadequate ( a conjuction when we were dealing with a pronoun) . My first explanation was wrong,  then I've found the correct one. Tell me, what have you done ? If  you knew all along , why haven't you pointed  to the solution from the very beginning? We participate in this forum to help each other and learn in the process. I' m very disappointed in you.


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## eno2

I gave examples.



> This is going to lead to _either_ giving in _or_ escaping _or_ endlessly prolonging the topic.





> 'it's either you or me or inib that is right'





> 'it's either escape, starve or commit suicide.



I didn't know all along. As a matter of fact I had no idea either that 'either' had 4 different grammatical functions.   I said earlier that I would not even search for examples because they were going to be too 'occasional' (read: untraceable). Finally some came to my mind. A few hours ago. Just when you clarified that everything was 'dual'

That damn Oxford definition, under Adverb & Conjunction,  allows 'occasionally' for ' more given alternatives' but doesn't give a single  example, so I had to think some up myself.


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## chileno

inib said:


> Chileno, please don't be so cryptic. I really don't know what you mean or who you are addressing, though by "the English audience" I suppose I'm included.




All I am saying is that "them" always translates as *ellos* in Spanish and that *ellos* means two or more, in Spanish.


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## inib

chileno said:


> All I am saying is that "them" always translates as *ellos* in Spanish and that *ellos* means two or more, in Spanish.


True, but "either" doesn't (usually). That's why we are saying that "either of them" has to be translated as "cualquiera de los dos", unless it's already obvious from the previous conversation that we are talking about two choices, in which case "cualquiera" would be sufficient.


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## chileno

Does hp100 understand so far?


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## Oldy Nuts

chileno said:


> Does hp100 understand so far?



Do you?


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## chileno

Oldy Nuts said:


> Do you?


Yes, I do.

I guess you don't understand me either.

No problem.


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## Oldy Nuts

Quiite frankly, not in this thread...


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