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Do you know how to say the names of professions in Spanish? Do you know the Spanish words for professions such as 'lawyer' or 'journalist'? Today, we will talk about job titles and professions in Spanish so get ready to see how to write and pronounce some of the most common occupations out there. However, before we jump into our list of professions in Spanish, let's see how to ask a very basic question when it comes to jobs.
When we want to find out what someone does for a living, we usually use questions like: what do you do for work?, what do you do for a living? or simply, what do you do? There are also different options in Spanish:
¿A qué te dedicas?
What do you do?
Soy profesor de fotografía.
I'm a photography teacher.
Captions 12-13, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
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Oye, y ¿en qué trabajas?
Hey, and what do you do [for a living]?
Estoy trabajando actualmente en una firma de abogados.
I'm working currently at a law firm.
Captions 82-83, Ricardo - La compañera de casa
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Ahora, ¿y qué haces tú?
Now, what do you do?
Bueno, yo soy mecánico.
Well, I'm a mechanic.
Captions 18-19, Encuentro Volkswagen en Adícora - Escarabajos en la playa
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You can also use that kind of question even if you are a student:
Bueno, Cristina, ¿tú a qué te dedicas?
Well, Cristina, what do you do for a living?
Estoy estudiando en Sevilla.
I am studying in Seville.
Captions 60-62, Clara y Cristina - Saludar
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Now, let's take a look at some of the most common professions in Spanish. Remember to listen to the audioclips so you can hear how to pronounce the word. Also, keep in mind that the names of most professions change with the gender so make sure to take a look at the rules that we will mention about that.
When the masculine noun ends in o, the feminine noun ends in a. There are several professions in Spanish that fall into this group:
1. El abogado | La abogada (The lawyer)
Es un abogado joven que recién se está metiendo en la política.
He's a young lawyer who has recently been getting involved in politics.
Caption 57, Muñeca Brava - 45 El secreto
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2. El arquitecto | La arquitecta (The architect)
Bueno, yo soy Leif, eh... soy arquitecto y llevo trabajando en Londres cuatro años.
Well, I am Leif, um... I am an architect and have been working in London for four years.
Captions 2-3, Leif - El Arquitecto Español y su Arte
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3. El cajero | La cajera (The cashier)
4. El carpintero | La carpintera (The carpenter)
5. El ingeniero | La ingeniera (The engineer)6
6. El psicólogo | La psicóloga (The psychologist)
When the noun ends in a consonant, you just need to add an a at the end to form the feminine noun.
7. El administrador | La administradora (The administrator)
Pero si quiere, yo con mucho gusto hablo con el administrador para que nos ayude.
But if you want, I'll gladly talk to the administrator so he can help us.
Captions 16-17, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 3
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8. El director | La directora (The director)
9. El editor | La editora (The editor)
10. El doctor | La doctora (The doctor)
Consultorio de la doctora Castaño, buenos días.
Doctor Castaño's office, good morning.
Caption 5, Cita médica - La cita médica de Cleer
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If you take the previous 3 nouns, you can see that there are various nouns ending in 'or' that are identical in English and Spanish.
11. El escritor | La escritora (The writer)
12. El profesor | La profesora (The teacher)
Yo soy profesora de español.
I am a Spanish teacher.
Caption 12, El Aula Azul - Actividades Diarias
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There are also some nouns that end in -ista, -ia and -e, that stay them same for both male and female. However, in order to make the distinction, you need to change the article accordingly. Let's see some examples:
13. El estudiante | La estudiante (The student)
14. El dentista | la dentista (The dentist)
Por ejemplo: el estudiante, la estudiante. El dentista, la dentista.
For example: the male student, the female student. The male dentist, the female dentist.
Captions 32-33, Isabel - El Género Gramatical - Masculino y Femenino
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15. El periodista | La periodista (The journalist)
"El periodista escribe el artículo para el periódico".
"The journalist writes the article for the newspaper."
Caption 22, Lecciones con Carolina La voz pasiva - Part 3
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Before we go, let's take a look at the following list of professions in Spanish so you can have a handy reference for this topic.
1. The administrator: El administrador | La administradora
2. The architect: El arquitecto | La arquitecta
3. The cashier: El cajero | La cajera
4. The carpenter: El carpintero | La carpintera
5. The dentist: El dentista | la dentista
6. The director: El director | La directora
7. The doctor: El doctor | La doctora
8. The editor: El editor | La editora
9. The engineer: El ingeniero | La ingeniera
10. The journalist: El periodista | La periodista
11. The lawyer: El abogado | La abogada
12. The psychologist: El psicólogo | La psicóloga
13. The student: El estudiante | La estudiante
14. The teacher: El profesor | La profesora
15. The writer: El escritor | La escritora
That's it for today. We know there are hundreds of more occupations and job titles out there. However, we hope this lesson will help you to remember the names of some of the most well-known professions in Spanish. That being said, we would like to invite you to find 10 professions more in our library of videos, and don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.
In this lesson, we talk about the plural in Spanish. In particular, we talk about the plural when it refers to nouns. Let's start this lesson with a little quiz. Do you know the plural form of the following nouns?:
1. Casa (house)
2. Perro (dog)
3. Universidad (university)
4. Lápiz (pencil)
5. Jabalí (wild boar)
6. Análisis (analysis)
If you are not sure about how to make a singular noun plural in Spanish, we invite you to take a look at the following simple rules. While going through these rules, we will be unveiling the plural form of the 6 nouns we included in our quiz. Let's take a look.
- Casa (house) - Casas (houses)
- Estudiante (student) - Estudiantes (students)
- Perro (perro) - Perros (dogs)
Se escucha un perro.
You can hear a dog.
Caption 43, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
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Tus perros también son muy bonitos.
Your dogs are very beautiful too.
Caption 58, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
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- Papá (dad) - Papás (dads)
- Dominó (domino) - Dominós (dominoes)
- Café (coffee) - Cafés (coffees)
Y les voy a mostrar el proceso de control de calidad de café de Colombia.
And I'm going to show you the quality-control process for coffee from Colombia.
Caption 5, Una Historia de Café - La Bodega
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Cada uno de estos cafés tiene distintas cualidades tanto físicas como sensoriales.
Each one of these coffees has different qualities both physically and sensorially.
Caption 14, Una Historia de Café - La Bodega
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- Bisturí (scalpel) - Bisturíes or bisturís (scalpels)
- Jabalí (wild boar) - Jabalíes or jabalís (wild boars)
- Tabú (taboo) - Tabúes or tabús (taboos)
Generally speaking, however, it is preferred to use the plural formed with 'ES'.
Also, this rule is very common when you are dealing with adjectives of nationality:
- Iraní (Iranian) - Iraníes or iranís (Iranians)
- Árbol (tree) - Árboles (trees)
- Profesor (teacher) - Profesores (teachers)
- Universidad (university) - Universidades (universities)
- Rey (king) - Reyes (kings)
La rata esta es el rey de la estafa por allá en Europa.
This rat is the king con artist over there in Europe.
Caption 45, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 1
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Actualmente es la residencia oficial de los reyes de España.
Currently, it's the official residence of the King and Queen of Spain.
Caption 23, Madrid - Un recorrido por la capital de España
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Notice that the singular noun árbol has a graphic accent in the second-to-last syllable (palabra grave). However, when you form the plural, the graphic accent moves to the third-to-last-syllable becoming a proparoxytone word (palabra esdrújula). Similarly, singular nouns like profesor and universidad that are stressed in the last syllable (palabras agudas) become paroxytone words (palabras graves) in the plural form.
- Lápiz (pencil) - Lápices (pencils)
- Raíz (root) - Raíces (roots)
- Voz (voice) - Voces (voices)
Tengo muy buena voz.
I have a very good voice.
Caption 91, Los casos de Yabla - Problemas de convivencia
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Vuelven esas voces a mi cabeza.
Those voices come back to my head.
Caption 37, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos - Subjuntivo y condicional
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Paroxytone or proparoxytone nouns ending in 's' or 'x' keep the same form in plural. Let's see some examples:
- Cactus (cactus) - Cactus (cactuses/cacti)
- Tórax (thorax) - Tórax (thoraxes/thoraces)
- Análisis (analysis) - Análisis (analyses/tests)
Y en un análisis de nuestras debilidades, oportunidades, fortalezas y amenazas.
And an analysis of our weaknesses, opportunities, strengths and threats.
Caption 37, Raquel y Marisa - Español Para Negocios - Crear una empresa
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...para hacerle los análisis de sangre, de heces.
...to do the blood tests, stool (tests).
Caption 54, Santuario para burros - Santuario
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That's it for now. We hope these rules help you to use the plural in Spanish. If you feel like practicing a little bit more, take 20 nouns and try to form their plural forms. And of course, don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.
Are you ready to learn some hard Spanish words? Don’t worry! We don’t want to scare you but rather we would like to highlight some of the issues that transform even simple words into difficult ones. Let’s review the following list featuring 100 of the most difficult Spanish words for English speakers.
Pronunciation is definitely the issue to keep in mind when we talk about hard Spanish words. In fact, if you are a native English speaker, there are several sounds that are quite challenging. Let’s start with some of the most difficult words to pronounce in Spanish for English speakers. We have divided these words in groups according to the pronunciation challenge they represent.
For many foreigners, words with the letter “j” are some of the most difficult Spanish words to say. If you are an English speaker, you can try to say the “j” in Spanish as a very strong “h” in English. Think of how you pronounce the letter “h” in the word ham. Let’s take a look:
1. Ají (chili or bell pepper)
¿Ají?
"Ají" [chili pepper]?
Caption 37, Ricardo - La compañera de casa
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2. Bajo (short)
Es bajo, es gordo.
He's short, he's fat.
Caption 33, El Aula Azul - Mis Primos
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3. Caja (box)
...y ellos también mandaron una caja grandísima.
...and they also sent a huge box.
Caption 25, Diana Quintana - En Navidad regalemos una sonrisa
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4. Anaranjado (orange)
Adentro, son de color anaranjado.
Inside, they are orange-colored.
Caption 13, Otavalo - Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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5. Empujar (to push)
6. Equipaje (luggage)
¿Puedo dejar aquí mi equipaje?
Can I leave my luggage here?
Caption 59, Cleer y Lida - Recepción de hotel
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7. Espantapájaros (scarecrow)
8. Cojear (to limp)
9. Injusticia (injustice)
10. Jamón (ham)
Fíjate: jamón, Javier.
Check it out: ham, Javier.
Caption 27, Fundamentos del Español - 10 - La Pronunciación
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11. Jirafa (giraffe)
12. Jornada (day)
13. Jota (J - the sound of the letter J in Spanish)
14. Jugar (to play)
También podemos jugar a las cartas.
We can also play cards.
Caption 12, Clara y Cristina - Hablan de actividades
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15. Junio (June)
16. Lujoso (luxurious)
17. Lejano (far, far away)
Érase una vez en un lejano reino, ahí vivía una joven niña.
Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom, there lived a young girl.
Caption 2, Cuentos de hadas - La Cenicienta
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18. Majo (nice)
19. Mojado (wet)
20. Pájaro (bird)
21. Sonrojar (to blush)
22. Tajada (slice)
Just as it happens with the letter “j,”, there are several tricky words in Spanish with the letter “g”. What’s hard about this consonant is that there is a soft and a hard way to pronounce it. For example, you have a soft “g” in the word gato (cat). Think about the pronunciation of the syllable “ga” in the word gather. On the other hand, you have a hard “g” in the word gente (people), which is kind of similar to how you pronounce the “h” in the word helmet. Let’s see some tough Spanish words with the letter “g”:
23. Acogedor (cozy, welcoming)
Perfecto, porque es un barco muy marinero, muy acogedor para la gente.
Perfect, because it's a very seaworthy boat, very welcoming for the people.
Caption 16, La Gala - El bote de Dalí
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24. Agente (agent)
25. Agitar (shake)
26. Aguja (needle)
27. Agujero (hole)
Tiene un cuerpo con un agujero en el centro.
It has a body with a hole in the center.
Caption 45, Karla e Isabel - Instrumentos musicales
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28. Apagar (to turn off)
29. Coger (to take, to get)
El segundo paso es coger la cebolla.
The second step is to get the onion.
Caption 25, Clara cocina - Una tortilla española
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30. Garganta (throat)
Me duele la garganta.
My throat hurts.
Caption 11, Ariana - Cita médica
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31. General (general)
En general, los nombres acabados en "a" son femeninos.
In general, nouns ending in "a" are feminine.
Caption 10, Fundamentos del Español - 2 - Nombres y Género
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32. Geneaología (genealogy)
33. Geología (geology)
34. Gigante (giant, gigantic)
Una de las piezas más llamativas es este ajedrez gigante.
One of the most appealing pieces is this gigantic chess board.
Caption 35, Europa Abierta - Taller de escenografía en Olivares
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35. Ginecólogo (gynecologist)
36. Girasol (sunflower)
37. Guapo (handsome)
38. Juguetón (playful)
39. Tangible (tangible)
40. Tigre (tiger)
41. Zoológico (zoo)
There are plenty of tricky words in Spanish with the strong sound of the double “rr”. The following are some of them:
42. Aburrido (bored)
Ah, esto está muy aburrido, ni siquiera se entiende.
Oh, this is very boring, you can't even understand it.
Caption 24, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 2
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43. Carrera (career)
El presidente empezó su carrera política...
The president began his political career...
Caption 29, Lecciones con Carolina - El gerundio
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44. Carretera (road)
45. Carro (car)
¿Ha venido en carro?
Have you come in a car?
Caption 64, Cleer y Lida - Recepción de hotel
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46. Correr (to run)
47. Desarrollar (Develop)
Pero el reto era desarrollar proyectos de biomedicina.
But the challenge was to develop biomedical projects.
Caption 10, Club de las ideas - Lego Fest en Sevilla
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48. Error (mistake)
Esto es un error.
This is a mistake.
Caption 21, Lecciones con Carolina - Errores comunes
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49. Ferrocarril (railroad, train)
...en un carrito tipo ferrocarril tirado por un caballo.
...in a little train-like car pulled by a horse.
Caption 8, Mérida y sus alrededores - Haciendas de Cuzamá
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50. Garrote (club)
51. Guerra (war)
La palabra más fea es guerra.
The ugliest word is war.
Caption 61, Karla e Isabel - Palabras
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52. Guitarra (guitar)
53. Herradura (horseshoe)
54. Irresponsable (irresponsible)
55. Morral (backpack)
56. Ornitorrinco (platypus)
57. Perro (dog)
Se escucha un perro.
You can hear a dog.
Caption 43, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
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58. Puertorriqueño (Puerto Rican)
Without any doubt, words that have a syllable where the consonant “t” is followed by the consonant “r,” are some of the most difficult words for English speakers to pronounce in Spanish. If you want to improve this sound, please listen carefully to some of the audio clips we have included for the next set of words.
59. Abstracto (abstract)
60. Astronomía (astronomy)
61. Astrología (astrology)
...y voy a entender lo que es la astrología.
...and I am going to understand what astrology is.
Caption 60, Conversaciones con Luis - Astrología
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62. Atracción (atraction)
Porque es en el centro... el sitio donde hay mayor atracción.
Because it's at the center... the place where there are more attractions.
Caption 21, Yabla en Lima - Miraflores
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63. Cuatro (four)
Número cuatro: microscopio.
Number four: microscope.
Caption 19, Aprendiendo con Karen - Útiles escolares
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64. Entretener (to entertain)
65. Entretenido (entertaining)
66. Patrón (patron)
67. Patrulla (patrol)
68. Petróleo (oil)
69. Poltrona (easy chair)
70. Potro (colt)
71. Tradicion (tradition)
Uno de los mitos más conocidos de la tradición indígena colombiana.
One of the best known myths of the indigenous Colombian tradition.
Caption 13, Aprendiendo con Carlos - América precolombina - Mitos y leyendas Muiscas
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72. Traicionar (to betray)
73. Trampa (trap)
No, no, me tendió una trampa y yo caí.
No, no, she set a trap for me and I fell into it.
Caption 29, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro
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74. Treinta y tres (thirty-three)
Treinta y tres
Thirty-three
Caption 49, Español para principiantes - Los números del 1 al 100
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75. Tres (three)
76. Trilogía (trilogy)
77. Triste
Estoy triste.
I am sad.
Caption 10, El Aula Azul - Estados de ánimo
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78. Tronco (trunk)
Unlike English, Spanish vowels are very clearly defined. Five vowels equals five sounds, period. While that may sound simple, the problem is that English speakers are used to pronouncing vowels in many more different ways. Here are some hard Spanish words that highlight this challenge.
79. Aguacate (avocado)
Este es guacamole hecho con aguacate...
This is guacamole made with avocado...
Caption 33, Tacos Emmanuel - Cómo hacer tacos de pescado
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80. Estadounidense (American)
Paul es estadounidense, de los Estados Unidos.
Paul is American, from the United States.
Caption 16, Carlos explica - Geografía y gentilicios
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81. Eucalipto (eucalyptus)
82. Euforia (euphoria)
83. Idiosincrasia (idiosyncrasy)
84. Licuadora (blender)
85. Paraguas (umbrella)
Voy a coger un paraguas, por si acaso.
I am going to grab an umbrella, just in case.
Caption 42, Clara explica - El tiempo - Part 1
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86. Triángulo (triangle)
Después pones este triángulo con la base hacia abajo.
Afterwards you put this triangle with the base toward the bottom.
Caption 42, Manos a la obra - Separadores de libros: Charmander
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87. Vergüenza (shame)
There is a ‘cute’ joke in Spanish that goes like this:
- Do you know what the longest word in Spanish is?
- No. What is it?
- Arroz (rice)!
- Arroz? That’s a very short word.
- No, arroz is the longest word in Spanish because it starts with ‘a’ and ends with ‘z’!
Of course, that’s only a joke! Arroz is one of the easiest words in Spanish. However, the following are some of the most challenging and longest Spanish words:
88. Electroencefalograma (electroencephalogram)
89. Esternocleidomastoideo (sternocleidomastoid)
90. Contrarrevolucionario (counter-revolutionary)
91. Constitucionalidad (constitutionality)
92. Internacionalización (internalization)
93. Otorrinolaringólogo (otolaryngologist)
Apart from these very complicated words, all those adverbs that end in -mente are also some of the longest Spanish words. Let’s look at a few:
94. Constitucionalmente (constitutionally)
95. Desafortunadamente (unfortunately)
Cuando tú creces, desafortunadamente te das cuenta que.
When you grow up, unfortunately, you realize that.
Caption 23, La Sub30 - Familias - Part 9
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96. Desconsoladamente (inconsolably)
97. Fuertemente (heavily)
98. Tradicionalmente (traditionally)
Y nos dedicamos al cultivo del champiñón tradicionalmente.
And we are dedicated to the cultivation of the mushroom traditionally.
Caption 4, La Champiñonera - El cultivo de champiñón
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99. Tristemente (sadly)
And finally, can you think of any Spanish word that has all the vowels on it? We have a long word for you, which is actually quite short in English:
100. Murciélago (bat)
La palabra más larga es murciélago.
The longest word is bat.
Caption 43, Karla e Isabel - Palabras
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That's it for now. We know that there are many more hard Spanish words that we should include in this list. If you feel like it, please share some additional difficult Spanish words with us, and we’ll be happy to add them to this lesson. And don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions. ¡Hasta la próxima!
These days, it feels like football or soccer (as it is known in the US) is everywhere! Are you enjoying the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France? What about the exciting Copa América? Are you following the Total Africa Cup of Nations? If you like the game and want to expand your Spanish vocabulary of football terms, this lesson introduces some of the most common football/soccer vocabulary words in Spanish.
First things first. The Spanish word for football or soccer is fútbol, a word whose stress goes on the second-to-last syllable:
Y este... y juego al fútbol también a veces.
And well... I also play soccer sometimes.
Caption 11, Bajofondo Tango Club - Mar Dulce
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However, in Mexico and other places across Central America people usually say futbol, with the stress on the last syllable:
Antes también jugué al futbol.
Before, I also played football.
Caption 28, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Manuel Orozco Sánchez
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By the way, if you are American and you are wondering how to say “football” in Spanish, the answer to that is fútbol americano.
From the word fútbol, we got the word futbolista (football player / soccer player). We can also use the term jugador as an alternative to futbolista. As a general rule, un equipo de fútbol (a soccer team) has eleven players (futbolistas / jugadores) on the field. Let’s see the names of the different kinds of players that you see in a typical partido de fútbol (soccer game / soccer match):
Portero, arquero, guardameta (goalkeeper)
Defensor (defender)
Mediocampista, centrocampista, volante (midfielder)
Delantero, atacante (forward)
You can also find various and more specific names for the different players in the field. For instance, in the defense you can hear names like the following:
Defensa central (central defender)
Lateral derecho (right back)
Lateral izquierdo (left back)
By the way, you can use the terms campo de juego, cancha de fútbol or terreno de juego to refer to the playing field.
Mirá a Carlitos. La ves en la cancha de fútbol y no te imaginás.
Look at Carlitos. You see her on the soccer field and you can't imagine.
Caption 27, Muñeca Brava - 8 Trampas
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In terms of other people that are involved in the game, we also have the following:
Árbitro (referee)
Juez de línea (assistant referee)
Entrenador (coach)
Suplente (substitute player)
El capitán del equipo (the captain of the team)
Keep in mind that substitute players sit on the banca or banquillo (bench). And let’s not forget about the fans who sit in the estadio (stadium). You can call them hinchas or aficionados or you can also use the corresponding collective nouns hinchada or afición (a group of fans).
If you want to say soccer ball in Spanish, you can either use balón de fútbol or pelota de fútbol. Or simply, pelota or balón. Some people call the soccer ball esférico.
And what about that magical moment when the ball enters the goal (the netted structure behind the goalkeeper)? Of course, we are talking about the goal, which in Spanish is called gol… or as many Latin sportscasters would very loudly say: ¡GOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! Another option you may hear for the term goal is the word tanto.
By the way, there are many words you can use in Spanish to talk about the goal (the netted structure). You can refer to as la portería, el arco or la valla. Each one of the two vertical goal posts is called palo or poste while the horizontal crossbar is called travesaño or larguero. Also, the small area that the goalkeeper guards (the goal area) is known in Spanish as área chica or área de meta. The bigger area (the penalty area) is known as área de penal.
There are many more things that are connected to the game. Let’s learn some more words:
El pito (the whistle)
Las botas de fútbol, los guayos, los botines de fútbol (soccer shoes)
Los tacos (the studs)
Las canilleras or las espinilleras (shin guards)
La camiseta (the t-shirt)
La copa (the cup)
El Mundial (the World Cup)
Campeonato europeo de fútbol, Mundial en Sudáfrica...
The European soccer championship, the World Cup in South Africa...
Caption 26, Marta - Se presenta
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Tarjeta amarilla (yellow card)
Tarjeta roja (red card)
Bandera (flag)
El césped (the pitch / the grass)
Mediocampo or media cancha (midfield)
Los vestidores, los camerinos (locker rooms)
Now, when it comes to playing the game, there are many calls and moves that are part of a standard game. Let’s learn some of those football/soccer vocabulary words in Spanish:
Saque inicial (kickoff)
Saque lateral (throw-in)
Saque de meta (goal kick)
La asistencia (the assistance)
Un pase (a pass)
Un pase largo (a long pass)
Un cabezazo (a header)
Córner or tiro de esquina (corner)
Fuera de lugar or fuera de juego (offside)
Falta (foul)
Fútbol de toque (a passing game)
La jugada (the move)
La lesión (the injury)
El marcador (the score)
El medio tiempo or el descanso (halftime)
La ocasión (the chance)
Penalti (penalty)
La prórroga (the extra time)
Regate (dribble)
El tiro or el disparo (the shot)
Tiro libre (free throw)
Un error (a mistake)
Una remontada (a comeback)
Victoria (victory)
Empate (tie)
Derrota (defeat)
Now, it is time to review some of those verbs you can easily hear if you watch a soccer/football game in Spanish.
Aprovechar (take advantage)
Arbitrar (to referee)
Atacar (to attack)
Buscar (to look for)
Caer (to fall)
Calentar (to warm up)
El entrenador nos ordena calentar antes de cada partido de fútbol.
The coach orders us to warm up before each soccer match.
Caption 44, Lecciones con Carolina - Pedir, preguntar, y ordenar
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Clasificar (to classify)
Correr (to run)
Defender (to defend)
Derrotar (to defeat)
Disputar (to play, to fight for)
Eliminar (to eliminate)
Empatar (to tie)
Ganar (to win)
Igualar (to even)
Imponerse (to prevail)
Intentar (to try)
Jugar (to play)
Marcar (to score or to defend)
Pelear (to fight)
Perder (to lose)
Recuperar (to recover)
Reponerse (to recover)
Romper (to break)
Seguir (to follow)
Sudar (to sweat)
En el campo de fútbol, empecé a sudar.
On the soccer field, I started to sweat.
Caption 11, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 2
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Toparse (to run/bump into)
Tirar, chutar (to shoot)
That's it for this lesson. We hope you enjoy this brief guide to some of the most common football/soccer vocabulary words in Spanish. Are there any words/terms that we didn’t mention? Please, let us know and don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.
Spanish may seem quite different from English and that could be very intimidating for people learning the language of Cervantes. However, if you are an English speaker, there are many words in Spanish that you already know! In this lesson, we will discover 100 words that are identical in Spanish and English.
In English, many words ending in ‘or’ are exactly the same in Spanish. Let’s start with the first one:
Con el actor Fred Savage.
With the actor Fred Savage.
Caption 8, Carlos comenta - Los Años Maravillosos - La década de los 80 y música
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In the example above, the spelling of the word “actor” is the same in English and Spanish. While the pronunciation is different, it is worth noting that the stress of the Spanish word goes on the last syllable while its English equivalent has the stress on the second-to-last syllable. Let’s see some words that follow the same pattern:
2. Color
3. Director
4. Editor
5. Error
6. Exterior
7. Favor
Para mí como un honor y también un... un reto poder hacer...
For me, like an honor and also a... a challenge to be able to make...
Caption 55, Leonardo Rodriguez Sirtori - Una vida como pintor
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9. Horror
10. Humor
11. Inferior
12. Instructor
Y ¿prefieren habitación exterior o interior?
And do you prefer an interior room or an exterior room?
Caption 15, Raquel - Reservación de Hotel
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14. Motor
15. Rumor
16. Sector
17. Superior
18. Tenor
19. Tractor
20. Tumor
21. Tutor
We know that some words like color and favor are spelled differently in some English speaking countries (colour, favour) but if you remove the ‘u’ you will find the same words in Spanish.
Now, let’s see some words that end in ‘al,’ which share the same spelling in both English and Spanish:
El estanque artificial es la primera imagen.
The artificial pond is the first image.
Caption 46, Marisa en Madrid - Parque de El Retiro
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23. Animal
24. Brutal
25. Capital
26. Central
27. Cereal
Esta ciudad se caracteriza por su arquitectura colonial.
This city is characterized by its colonial architecture.
Caption 7, Mérida y sus alrededores - Ciudad de Mérida
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29. Continental
30. Criminal
Luego tenemos proyectos de cooperación cultural.
Then we have cultural cooperation projects.
Caption 54, En el hub - Madrid
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32. Decimal
33. Dental
34. Editorial
35. Electoral
36. Elemental
37. Experimental
Y una crema hidratante facial es netamente para tu rostro.
And a moisturizing facial lotion is purely for your face.
Caption 34, Los médicos explican - Consejos para la piel
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39. Fatal
40. Federal
41. Festival
42. Final
43. Formal
44. Fundamental
45. Funeral
46. General
47. Gradual
48. Horizontal
El hospital da hacia el mar.
The hospital faces the sea.
Caption 20, Lecciones con Carolina - Verbo - dar
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50. Ideal
51. Imperial
52. Industrial
53. Informal
54. Instrumental
55. Legal
56. Liberal
57. Literal
58. Local
59. Manual
Todo este material servirá para decorar los puestos y las calles de Olivares.
All this material will serve to decorate the stands and streets of Olivares.
Caption 72, Europa Abierta - Taller de escenografía en Olivares
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61. Mental
62. Metal
63. Monumental
64. Moral
65. Mortal
66. Musical
67. Natural
68. Neutral
Yo tengo una familia que es una familia normal.
I have a family that is a normal family.
Caption 1, El Aula Azul - Mi familia
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70. Oral
71. Original
72. Personal
73. Plural
74. Radical
75. Regional
76. Rival
77. Rural
78. Social
79. Superficial
Llegaréis a la terminal nueva.
You will arrive at the new terminal.
Caption 23, Blanca - Cómo moverse en Barcelona
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81. Total
82. Tropical
83. Universal
84. Vertical
85. Visual
86. Viral
87. Vital
Finally, there are many English words that end in ‘ble’ that are identical in Spanish. Let’s see some of them:
88. Adorable
89. Deplorable
90. Flexible
91. Honorable
92. Invisible
93. Irresistible
94. Miserable
Porque él también es muy sociable, le encanta estar con la gente...
Because he also is very sociable, he loves to be with people...
Caption 11, El Aula Azul - Mis Amigos
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96. Tangible
97. Terrible
98. Variable
99. Visible
100. Vulnerable
In English, most of these words are stressed on the third-to-last syllable. On the contrary, in Spanish these words are stressed on the second-to-last syllable.
That's it for this lesson. Isn’t it nice to see that you already know so many Spanish words without even trying? In fact, there are many more words ending in ‘or,’ ‘al’ and ‘ble’ that have the same meaning and spelling in English and Spanish. Can you find more words to add to these 100? Give it a try and don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.
Have you ever been hit by a rock or elbowed in a crowd? In Spanish, there's a specific suffix that perfectly captures these painful experiences. While the suffix -azo serves various purposes in Spanish (including forming augmentatives and expressing sudden actions), in this lesson we'll focus specifically on how it's used to describe painful impacts and blows.
The suffix -azo in Spanish creates nouns that express sudden, forceful impacts or blows delivered by the object indicated in the root word. These derivations are incredibly productive in Spanish and very useful for describing everything from minor bumps to significant injuries.
Let's see it in action:
Además, si estás enamorado y no te dan bolilla... es como un piedrazo en la cabeza.
Besides, if you're in love and the other one doesn't give you a second thought... it's like getting hit on the head with a rock.
Captions 29-30, Verano Eterno Fiesta Grande - Part 6
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A piedrazo (from piedra - "stone") literally means "a blow delivered by a stone" - definitely something painful! By this same pattern, we can form many other impact-related words:
Bala (bullet) → Balazo (gunshot wound)
Codo (elbow) → Codazo (blow with an elbow; nudge)
Puño (fist) → Puñetazo (punch)
Cabeza (head) → Cabezazo (headbutt)
Rodilla (knee) → Rodillazo (knee strike)
Martillo (hammer) → Martillazo (hammer blow)
yo digo que es como un puñetazo en el estómago porque es vacío.
I say it's like a punch in the stomach because it's empty.
Captions 33-34, Festivaliando Mono Núñez - Part 8
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Many -azo words are derived from body parts and describe physical impacts:
Manazo (from mano - "hand"): a slap or hard blow with the hand
Espaldarazo (from espalda - "back"): a blow on the back, though it's also used figuratively to mean "support" or "endorsement"
Testarazo (from testa - "head"): a blow given with or to the head
Zarpazo (from zarpa - "claw"): a swipe or blow with claws
Objects used to strike or hit also form common -azo words:
Bastonazo (from bastón - "cane/walking stick"): a blow with a cane
Escobazo (from escoba - "broom"): a hit with a broom
Palazo (from pala - "shovel"): a blow with a shovel
Zapatazo (from zapato - "shoe"): a blow delivered with a shoe
The -azo suffix gives Spanish a powerful way to express impacts and painful blows in a single, expressive word. While we've focused on the physical pain aspect, this versatile suffix can also express sudden events, loud noises, and even unexpected successes or failures.
Next time you bump your elbow or get nudged in a crowd, you'll know exactly how to describe that painful experience in Spanish—with the perfect -azo word!
Have you encountered any interesting -azo words in your Spanish learning journey? Can you think of other objects that could form painful words with -azo? Think about it and don't forget to send us your comments and questions!
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