algo

See also: Algo, algõ, and algo-

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈæl.ɡoʊ̯/

Noun

algo (plural algos)

1. Clipping of algorithm.
   • 2019 March 31, Sean T. Collins, “‘Billions’ Season 4, Episode 3: Hurts So Good”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     Together, the Masons craft a new algorithm to make an end-run around Axe’s sabotage — or so they want him to believe. With the help of a surveillance photo procured by his dirty-deeds specialist Hall (Terry Kinney), Axe has a copy of the algo he spends a full day attempting to decipher before realizing it has a mistake.

Derived terms

• algospeak

Anagrams

• Olga, gola, Gola, gaol, Lago, goal, Galo

Asturian

Pronoun

algo

1. alternative form of dalgo

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish algo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Central) [ˈal.ɣu]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈal.ɣo]

Pronoun

algo

1. (Castilianism) something

Usage notes

• Not accepted in the standard language, where quelcom, res and alguna cosa are the only options. Widely used in colloquial speech, but considered a barbarisme. Not to be confused with algú.

Further reading

• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “algo”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish algo (“something”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalɡo/, [ˈal.ɡo]
• Hyphenation: al‧go

Pronoun

algo

1. (Cotabateño, Caviteño, Zamboangueño) something

Esperanto

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalɡo/

• Audio 1:

  (file)

• Audio 2:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -alɡo
• Syllabification: al‧go

Noun

algo (accusative singular algon, plural algoj, accusative plural algojn)

1. alga

Further reading

• “algo”, in Plena Ilustrita Vortaro de Esperanto [Complete Illustrated Dictionary of Esperanto], 2020, →ISBN
• “algo”, in Reta Vortaro [Online Dictionary] (in Esperanto), 1997-2026

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al.ɡo/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

Noun

algo m (plural algos)

1. clipping of algorithme (“algorithm”)
2. clipping of algorithmique (“algorithmics”)

Anagrams

• goal, lago

Galician

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese algo, from Latin aliquod (“some; a few”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈal.ɣʊ]

Pronoun

algo

1. something

   Antonyms: nada (“nothing”), todo (“everything”)

Noun

algo m (plural algos)

1. (archaic) wealth, fortune
   • 1295, R. Lorenzo, editor, La traducción gallega de la Crónica General y de la Crónica de Castilla, Ourense: I.E.O.P.F., page 414:

     quando chegarõ os judeus disellis com̃o tĩjna ali muy grãde algo en ouro et en aliofre et en pedras preçiosas

     when the Jew arrived he told them that he has there a large fortune in gold, pearls and precious stones

Derived terms

• fidalgo

Adverb

algo

1. rather, somewhat

References

• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “algo”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “algo”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “algo”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “algo”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “algo”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese algo, from Latin aliquod (“some; a few”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈaw.ɡu/ [ˈaʊ̯.ɡu]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈaw.ɡu/ [ˈaʊ̯.ɡu]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈaw.ɡo/ [ˈaʊ̯.ɡo]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈal.ɡu/ [ˈaɫ.ɣu]

• (Caipira) IPA^(key): /ˈaɻ.ɡo/

• Audio (Portugal (Porto)):

  (file)

• Homophone: augo (Brazil)
• Rhymes: (Portugal) -alɡu, (Brazil) -awɡu
• Hyphenation: al‧go

Pronoun

algo

1. something (unspecified object)

   Synonym: alguma coisa

Related terms

• alguém
• algum

Adverb

algo

1. rather, somewhat

Further reading

• “algo”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “algo”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “algo”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish algo, from Latin aliquod.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalɡo/ [ˈal.ɣ̞o]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -alɡo
• Syllabification: al‧go

Pronoun

algo

1. something, anything

   Synonym: alguna cosa

   Antonyms: nada, todo

   Coordinate terms: alguien, alguno

   Algo imprevisto ocurrió. ― Something unexpected happened.

   Me parece algo de interés. ― It seems like something interesting to me.

   Eso es algo natural. ― It's something natural.

Derived terms

• algo así
• algo así como
• algo es algo
• algo por ahí
• dar algo
• por algo

Related terms

• alguien
• alguno

Adverb

algo

1. rather, somewhat, kind of

   Me parece algo extraño. ― It seems rather strange to me.

Further reading

• “algo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Anagrams

• galo