tan pronto como vs en cuanto vs ni bien

Question

Is there any difference in meaning between "tan pronto como", "en cuanto" and "ni bien" ? Example:

Pagaré tu boleto tan pronto como / en cuanto / ni bien hagas la reserva. (= I will pay for your ticket as soon as you make the reservation)

I had never heard "ni bien"! Between the other two, I feel like "tan pronto como" is a more meticulous instruction. — aparente001, Jan 19 '20 at 04:42

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 19 '20 at 05:44

They all mean the same.

As far as I can tell, the difference is that they are used in different regions. For instance aparente001 mentions above to never have heard "ni bien". My experience, having grown up in Argentina, is the opposite: "ni bien" is the most common, "en cuanto" is also common, and "tan pronto como" is understandable but sounds weird.

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 19 '20 at 16:18

3

I would prefer "en cuanto", which is the more neutral one. "tan pronto como" looks like a loan directly taking words from English. "Ni bien" is less common, maybe literary or outdated, perhaps a regional preference.

Of course, in slang Chilean Spanish, you would say "Pagaré el pasaje 'al tiro'" :-)

answered Jan 19 '20 at 16:18

ellamir

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+1 from me, and welcome to the site, ellamir! – aparente001 Jan 19 '20 at 17:16

tan pronto como vs en cuanto vs ni bien

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