A top business Spanish guide to culture, etiquette, words & more
Author
Editor
Berlitz
If you want to talk business, what better way to do it than in Spanish?
If you’re serious about succeeding professionally, then being able to communicate in Spanish could be a secret weapon for you. In fact, Spanish is one of the top languages to learn to advance your career, with over 500 million speakers all over the world. Doing business in Spanish will open up the door to 21 Spanish-speaking countries, helping you scale your business in international markets.
Plus, even if you’re not yet ready to seek new business endeavors abroad, being able to speak Spanish in a local business environment can help you better connect with your customers and reach a wider audience. Even non-commercial professionals like doctors and psychologists could benefit from Spanish proficiency, as helping their patients in their native tongue could help them make a bigger impact.
And if you’re still looking for the perfect job or looking to make some career moves, then adding Spanish to your resume could help you land the perfect opportunity. According to Monster, being able to speak Spanish can give you a 5 to 20% boost in your salary. Not only will Spanish make you more employable, but you’ll also qualify for higher-paid jobs!
So, what’s the fastest way to incorporate Spanish into your entrepreneurial plots? While taking Spanish classes online can help you become a Spanish master and gleefully navigate any conversation, this guide will give you everything you need to talk business in Spanish.
Let’s get right down to business!
5 important facts about doing business in Spanish
Before we delve into hundreds of invaluable Spanish business vocabulary words, let us whet your appetite even further with some interesting facts. Here are five things you may not have known about doing business in Spanish:
Get ready to use WhatsApp. While most business communications in Canada happen over email, Spanish speakers are extremely comfortable relying on instant messaging for business communications. If you’re unfamiliar, WhatsApp is a Meta-owned instant messaging app that is widely used throughout the Spanish-speaking world.
Greet everyone with a handshake. If you’ve traveled to Spain or Latin America before, you know that air kissing is a very common way to greet friends and acquaintances. However, you always want to use a handshake in a business environment. In situations where you’re already very close with the other person, a handshake followed by a hug and a second, subsequent handshake can also be appropriate.
Personal connections play a huge role. If business is indeed personal, then few know it as well as Spanish speakers. As you do more and more business, you’ll realize that personal connections are often as important in closing a deal as the deal itself. Don’t be shy to call up any friends or relatives and ask them to introduce you.
Long and boozy lunches can be expected. If you travel to a Spanish-speaking country to do business, you can expect your hosts to take you out on a long and potentially boozy lunch. Going with the point above, this is to get to know you better rather than to do business. Remember to leave plenty of time for “la sobremesa,” which is the tradition of keeping the conversation going (and the alcohol flowing) even after the food is over.
Just a few words in Spanish can make a great impression. Don’t worry about it too much if your Spanish isn’t perfect. Knowing just a few words and phrases in Spanish can help you make a great first impression.
Top common business words and vocabulary in Spanish
Now, let’s get down to business. We’ll be covering hundreds of important business vocabulary words in Spanish in this section, so we’ve divided them into subcategories. That way, you can navigate to the category you need the most and start cutting new deals in no time!
Basic business vocabulary
Below are some essential business words that everyone should be familiar with. No matter what type of industry you’re in, you’ll definitely find it useful to know the following Spanish vocabulary words:
| Spanish | English translation | Example sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los negocios | Business (as in doing business) | Hacer negocios es una buena manera de ganar dinero. | Doing business is a good way to make money. |
| La oficina | Office | Ya me voy a dormir porque tengo que ir a la oficina mañana en la mañana. | I’m going to bed because I have to go to the office tomorrow morning. |
| La empresa | Business (as in a business) | Escuché que esa empresa no está en buen estado. | I heard that that business isn’t in good shape. |
| La compañía | Company | Fernando es dueño de una compañía muy exitosa. | Fernando owns a very successful company. |
| El jefe | Boss | Tengo suerte de tener un muy buen jefe. | I’m lucky to have a great boss. |
| El empleado | Employee | Fernando ha estado trabajando muy duro últimamente, seguramente será el empleado del mes. | Fernando has been working very hard recently, he will surely be the employee of the month. |
| El director | Director | Hoy nos dará una visita el director de la empresa. | The director of the company will pay us a visit today. |
| El gerente | Manager | ¿Quién es el gerente de esta tienda? | Who is the store manager? |
| El contrato | Contract | Nunca firmes un contrato sin leerlo antes. | Never sign a contract before reading it. |
| El personal | Staff | El personal de este restaurante es increíble, siempre me atienden muy bien. | The staff at this restaurant is incredible, they always offer great service. |
| Las ventas | Sales | Las ventas son mi pasión. | Sales are my passion. |
| El mercado | Market | El mercado de bienes raíces está creciendo muy rápido. | The real estate market is growing very quickly. |
| La economía | Economy | La economía está mejorando cada año. | The economy is improving every year. |
| Contratar | To hire | No es fácil contratar a un buen empleado. | It’s not easy finding a good employee. |
| Despedir | To fire | No es buena idea despedir a alguien con tanta experiencia. | Firing someone with so much experience isn’t a good idea. |
| Hacer negocios | To do business | Siempre es un placer hacer negocios con usted. | It’s always a pleasure doing business with you. |
| Celebrar un contrato | To close a deal | La semana pasada celebramos un contrato para abrir una nueva sucursal. | We closed a deal to open a new branch last week. |
| Factura | Invoice | ¿No te llegó la factura? | You didn’t receive the invoice? |
Business meetings vocabulary
For better or for worse, business meetings are an irreplaceable part of doing business. If you’re anxious about your next business meeting, being familiar with some of the following vocabulary can help you not only survive your next meeting but actually thrive in it!
| Spanish | English translation | Example sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| La reunión de negocios | Business meeting | Roberto tiene una reunión de negocios cada mañana. | Roberto has a business meeting every morning. |
| La cita | Appointment | Es muy importante llegar a tiempo a todas tus citas. | Getting to every appointment on time is very important. |
| La junta | Meeting | Estoy ocupado hoy en la tarde, tengo que asistir a algunas juntas. | I’m busy this afternoon, I have to attend a few meetings. |
| Asistir | To attend | No voy a poder ir a tu fiesta de cumpleaños porque necesito asistir a una conferencia de negocios este fin de semana. | I won’t be able to come to your birthday party because I need to attend a business conference this weekend. |
| Bienvenidos | Welcome | Bienvenidos a la junta de hoy, gracias a todos por venir. | Welcome to today’s meeting, thank you all for coming. |
| El tema | Topic | El tema de esta junta es el crecimiento del próximo año. | This meeting’s topic is next year’s growth projections. |
| La agenda | Agenda | Todos debieron haber recibido la agenda de esta junta en su correo electrónico. | Everybody should have received the meeting’s agenda by email. |
| La presentación | Presentation | Julia dará una breve presentación antes de iniciar la junta de hoy. | Julia will give a brief presentation before starting today’s meeting. |
| El objetivo | Objective | El objetivo de esta junta es entender cómo podemos mejorar como empresa. | This meeting’s objective is to understand how we can improve as a company. |
| Las minutas | Minutes | Rodrigo no podrá asistir, pero yo le compartiré las minutas ya que terminemos. | Rodrigo won’t be able to attend, but I will share the meeting’s minutes with him once we’re finished here. |
| Tomar una decisión | To make a decision | Necesitamos tomar una decisión hoy mismo. | We need to make a decision by today. |
| A favor de | In favor of | Todos a favor de las nuevas reglas, levanten la mano. | All those in favor of the new rules, please raise your hand. |
| Un acuerdo | An agreement | Creo que podemos llegar a un acuerdo con estos términos. | I think we can reach an agreement with these terms. |
| Proponer | To make a suggestion | ¿Puedo proponer algo? | May I make a suggestion? |
| Estar a cargo | To be in charge | Necesitamos comunicarnos con las personas que están a cargo de este programa. | We need to communicate with the people who are in charge of this program. |
| Dar seguimiento | To follow up | Francisco, por favor recuérdame de darle seguimiento a este tema el próximo mes. | Francisco, please remind me to follow up on this topic next month. |
| Tomar notas | To take notes | Recuerden tomar notas durante la conferencia. | Remember to take notes during the conference. |
| Trabajo en equipo | Teamwork | El trabajo en equipo es indispensable en esta compañía. | Teamwork is indispensable in this company. |
| Agendar | To schedule | No olvides agendar tu cita mensual con el gerente. | Don’t forget to schedule your monthly meeting with the manager. |
| La próxima junta | The next meeting | La próxima junta será hasta el próximo trimestre. | The next meeting will be until the next trimester. |
Sales and marketing vocabulary
If sales and marketing are your thing, then these vocabulary words will help you take your numbers off the charts. From planning to executing, these are the words you’ll need to know to ace your next marketing campaign in Spanish.
| Spanish | English translation | Example sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| El márketing | Marketing | El área de márketing de esta empresa es excepcional. | The marketing department at this company is exceptional. |
| El márketing digital | Digital marketing | Tener una buena estrategia de márketing digital se vuelve cada vez más importante. | Having a good digital marketing strategy is becoming more and more important. |
| La publicidad | Advertisement | Nunca subestimes el poder de la buena publicidad. | Never underestimate the power of a good advertisement. |
| La agencia de publicidad | Advertising agency | Una buena agencia de publicidad sabe cómo comunicarse con el cliente ideal. | A good advertising agency knows how to communicate with the ideal client. |
| La marca | Brand | Esta marca de ropa me gusta mucho. | I really like this clothing brand. |
| La identidad de marca | Brand identity | Esos valores no van de acuerdo con nuestra identidad de marca. | Those values don’t align with our brand identity. |
| La campaña publicitaria | Advertising campaign | Una buena campaña publicitaria puede hacer la diferencia entre un producto exitoso y uno fracasado. | A good advertising campaign can make the difference between a successful product and a failed one. |
| La estrategia de márketing | Marketing strategy | No es fácil crear una estrategia de márketing exitosa. | It’s not easy to create a successful marketing strategy. |
| La imagen corporativa | Corporate image | La imagen corporativa de nuestra empresa debe ser inclusiva. | Our company’s corporate image must be inclusive. |
| La visión | Vision | La visión de nuestra empresa es operar 200 tiendas a largo plazo. | Our company’s vision is to operate 200 stores in the long run. |
| La misión | Mission | Nuestra misión es siempre ofrecer el mejor servicio posible a nuestros clientes. | Our mission is to always offer the best possible service to our clients. |
| El logotipo | Logo | El próximo trimestre revelaremos el nuevo logotipo de la empresa. | We will reveal the company’s new logo in the next quarter. |
| El eslogan | Slogan | Me parece que nuestra empresa debería tener un eslogan, ¿no lo crees? | I think that our business should have a slogan, don’t you think? |
| La conferencia de prensa | Press conference | ¿Ya está todo listo para la conferencia de prensa de mañana? | Is everything ready for tomorrow’s press conference? |
| El comunicado de prensa | Press release | Rodrigo se encargará de redactar el comunicado de prensa. | Rodrigo will be in charge of drafting the press release. |
| Las relaciones públicas | Public relations | Mario estudió márketing en la universidad, pero ahora trabaja en relaciones públicas. | Mario studied marketing in college, but now he works in public relations. |
| El plan de medios | Media plan | El plan de medios del próximo trimestre incluye más publicaciones en redes sociales. | Next quarter’s media plan includes more social media posts. |
| La tasa de conversión | Conversion rate | Necesitamos subir nuestra tasa de conversión. | We need to raise our conversion rate. |
| El anuncio espectacular | Billboard | ¿Viste el nuevo anuncio espectacular de la empresa? | Did you see the company’s new billboard? |
| El cupón | Coupon | Los cupones son una buena estrategia para generar ventas rápidamente. | Coupons are a great strategy for generating sales quickly. |
| El público meta | Target audience | Los adolescentes son el público meta de esta campaña publicitaria. | Teenagers are the target audience of this publicity campaign. |
| La publicidad a distancia | Telemarketing | Juan se hizo millonario con su empresa de publicidad a distancia. | Juan became a millionaire with his telemarketing company |
| El comercial de televisión | TV commercial | Marisol salió en un comercial de televisión. | Marisol was in a TV commercial. |
| El anuncio de revista | Magazine ad | Qué hermosa vista, ¡hasta parece anuncio de revista! | What a beautiful view, it even looks like a magazine ad! |
| Los anuncios en redes sociales | Social media ads | Los anuncios en redes sociales no siempre son efectivos. | Social media ads aren’t always effective. |
Finance and accounting vocabulary
Finance isn’t all numbers and equations — it also uses a lot of specialized terminology. If you’ve put in the work to become a financial professional, you may want to serve the Spanish-speaking market. With a combined GDP of over $5 trillion, Latin America is a great place for financial professionals to do business. Here are some essential financial terms in Spanish.
| Spanish | English translation | Example sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| El dinero | Money | Hay cosas más importantes en la vida que el dinero. | There are more important things to life than money. |
| Los billetes | Bills | El peso mexicano tiene los billetes más bonitos del mundo. | The Mexican peso has the prettiest bills in the world. |
| Las monedas | Coins | Es muy inconveniente tener que cargar con monedas. | Having to carry coins is very inconvenient. |
| El efectivo | Cash | Casi no se usa efectivo en este país. | Cash is rarely used in this country. |
| El cheque | Check | ¿Cuándo estará listo mi cheque para recogerlo? | When will my check be ready for pick-up? |
| El pago | Payment | Creo que aún no se ha realizado el pago por los servicios. | I think that the payment for the services hasn’t been made yet. |
| El precio | Price | El precio de nuestro producto no ha subido en diez años. | The price of our product hasn’t increased in ten years. |
| El banco | The bank | Tengo que ir al banco a realizar unas transacciones. | I have to go to the bank to handle a few transactions. |
| El cajero automático | ATM | ¿Sabes si hay algún cajero automático por aquí? | Do you know if there’s an ATM around here? |
| Cobrar | To charge | Van a empezar a cobrar el estacionamiento en estas oficinas. | They’re going to start charging for parking in this office building. |
| La cuenta de cheques | Checking account | Ayer fui al banco a abrir una nueva cuenta de cheques. | I went to the bank yesterday to open a checking account. |
| Las deudas | Debt | No me gusta tener deudas, así que siempre pago mis tarjetas de crédito. | I don’t like having debt, so I always pay off my credit cards. |
| Los impuestos | Taxes | Me parece que los impuestos en Chile son algo excesivos. | I think that taxes in Chile are a bit excessive. |
| Libre de impuestos | Duty-free | Panamá tiene muchas tiendas donde puedes hacer compras libres de impuestos. | Panama has many stores where you can shop duty-free. |
| El sueldo | Salary | Me cambié de trabajo porque me ofrecieron un mejor sueldo. | I switched jobs because I was offered a better salary. |
| Los ingresos | Income | Estoy más agusto desde que renuncié, pero sí extraño esos ingresos. | I’m more comfortable ever since I quit, but I do miss the income. |
| La liquidez | Liquidity | El nuevo director de la empresa se enfocará en solucionar el problema de liquidez. | The new company director will focus on addressing the liquidity problem. |
| El préstamo | Loan | Necesitaremos conseguir un préstamo para poder seguir operando durante el verano. | We need to take out a loan to keep operating through the summer. |
| La hipoteca | Mortgage | El próximo año terminaré de pagar la hipoteca de mi hogar. | Next year I will pay off my home mortgage. |
| El presupuesto | Budget | El presupuesto del próximo trimestre incluye más fondos para publicidad. | Next quarter’s budget includes more funds for advertising. |
| La propiedad | Property | Comprar propiedad es muy caro en esta zona de la ciudad. | Buying a property in this part of town is very expensive. |
| El saldo | Account balance | Tengo miedo de revisar el saldo de mi cuenta de banco después de este viaje. | I’m scared to check my account balance after this trip. |
| Depositar | To deposit | Solo dime a qué cuenta depositar y haré el pago de inmediato. | Just tell me what account to make the deposit to and I’ll make the payment right away. |
| Retirar | To withdraw | Hola, necesito retirar diez mil pesos, por favor. | Hello, I need to withdraw ten thousand pesos, please. |
| La transferencia bancaria | Bank transfer | Aceptamos pagos en efectivo, con tarjeta de crédito y por transferencia bancaria. | We accept payments by cash, credit card, and bank transfers. |
| El crédito | Credit | Tan pronto recibamos todos los documentos te podremos decir si tu crédito fue aprobado. | We can let you know if your credit was approved as soon as we receive all your documents. |
| La tarjeta de crédito | Credit card | Creo que es momento de solicitar mi primera tarjeta de crédito. | I think it’s time to apply for my first credit card. |
| La tarjeta de débito | Debit card | Pagar con tarjeta de débito es una buena estrategia para no gastar de más. | Paying with a debit card is a good strategy to avoid overspending. |
| La sucursal | Branch | ¿Sabes si hay una sucursal de este banco por aquí? | Do you know if there’s another branch of this bank around here? |
| La tasa de interés | Interest rate | No contraté la tarjeta de crédito porque la tasa de interés era muy alta. | I didn’t sign up for the credit card because the interest rate was too high. |
| La transacción | Transaction | Listo, la transacción fue completada exitosamente. | Done, the transaction has been successfully completed. |
| Las acciones | Shares | Las acciones de la empresa bajaron de valor repentinamente. | The shares of the company had a sudden drop in value. |
| El accionista | Shareholder | Mariana es la accionista mayoritaria de la empresa. | Mariana is the majority shareholder of the company. |
| Los activos | Assets | Nuestra meta para este año es incrementar los activos de la empresa. | Our goal for this year is to increase the company’s assets. |
| Los pasivos | Liabilities | Nunca es bueno cuando los pasivos de una empresa superan los activos. | It’s never a good thing when a company’s liabilities are higher than its assets. |
| La bolsa | The stock market | La bolsa ha sido muy volátil estas últimas semanas. | The stock market has been very volatile these past few weeks. |
| Los bonos | Bonds | Invertir en bonos es una buena inversión de muy bajo riesgo. | Investing in bonds is a very good low-risk investment. |
| El capital | Capital | Como empresa pequeña, es importante estar al pendiente de nuestro capital. | As a small business, it’s important to stay on top of our capital. |
| La financiación | Financing | Nuestra segunda ronda de financiación fue muy exitosa. | Our second round of funding was very successful. |
| El fondo de inversiones | Investment fund | Este fondo de inversiones se enfoca exclusivamente en empresas ecológicas. | This investment fund is focused exclusively on eco-friendly companies. |
| Las ganancias | Profit | Gracias a ustedes, el año pasado registramos ganancias récord. | Thanks to you all, we made record profits last year. |
| La inflación | Inflation | Debido a la inflación, hemos decidido incrementar el precio de nuestros servicios. | Due to inflation, we’ve decided to increase the prices of our services. |
| La oferta y demanda | Supply and demand | La oferta y demanda afectan los precios de los bienes raíces. | Supply and demand affect the prices of the real estate market. |
| Quebrar | To go bankrupt | Siempre es una lástima ver a una empresa local quebrar. | It’s always such a shame to see a local business go bankrupt. |
| La bancarrota | Bankruptcy | Esa tienda no tiene nada de producto, seguramente está en bancarrota. | That store doesn’t have any products, surely it must be bankrupt. |
| El tipo de cambio | Exchange rate | El tipo de cambio no ha sido muy favorable estos últimos meses. | The exchange rate hasn’t been very favorable these past few months. |
| El historial crediticio | Credit history | No olvides cuidar mucho tu historial crediticio, ya que este te ayudará a comprar una casa en el futuro. | Don’t forget to take good care of your credit history, as it will help you buy a house in the future. |
| El enganche | Down payment | ¿Ya ahorraste para el enganche de tu auto? | Did you already save up for your car’s down payment? |
| El seguro | Insurance | El seguro es una de las partes más caras de tener un auto. | Insurance is one of the most expensive parts of having a car. |
| La prima del seguro | Insurance premium | La prima del seguro puede ser extremadamente elevada cuando eres joven. | The insurance premium can be extremely high when you’re young. |
| La cobertura del seguro | Insurance coverage | Revisa que tu cobertura de seguro incluya daños a terceros. | Check that your insurance coverage insures damages to third parties. |
Currencies of Spanish-speaking countries
You’ll have to get acquainted with the local currency as you do business abroad. The U.S. dollar is used in three Latin American countries, whereas all others have their own currency. Spain, on the other hand, uses the Euro.
| Country | Currency | Currency code | Symbol | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | El peso argentino | ARS | $ | Argentinian peso |
| Bolivia | El boliviano | BOB | Bs, Bs. | Bolivian |
| Chile | El peso chileno | CLP | $ | Chilean Peso |
| Colombia | El peso colombiano | COP | $ | Colombian Peso |
| Paraguay | El guaraní | PYG | ₲ | Paraguayan Guarani |
| Peru | El sol | PEN | S/ | Peruvian Sol |
| Uruguay | El peso uruguayo | UYU | $, $U | Uruguayan Peso |
| Venezuela | El bolívar | VES | Bs, Bs.F. | Venezuelan Bolivar |
| Mexico | El peso mexicano | MXN | $, Mex$ | Mexican Peso |
| Guatemala | El quetzal | GTQ | Q | Guatemalan Quetzal |
| Costa Rica | El colón | CRC | ₡ | Costa Rican Colon |
| Honduras | El lempira | HNL | L | Honduran Lempira |
| Nicaragua | El córdoba | NIO | C$ | Nicaragua Cordoba |
| Panama | El balboa | PAB | B/. | Panamanian Balboa |
| Cuba | El peso cubano | CUP | $, $MN, ₱ | Cuban Peso |
| Dominican Republic | El peso dominicano | DOP | $, RD$ | Dominican Peso |
| Spain | El euro | EUR | € | Euro |
| Ecuador | El dólar americano | USD | $ | US Dollar |
| El Salvador | El dólar americano | USD | $ | US Dollar |
| Equatorial Guinea | El franco CFA de África Central | XAF | F.CFA | Central African CFA franc |
| Puerto Rico | El dólar americano | USD | $ | US Dollar |
Human resources vocabulary
Knowing some human resources vocabulary words is incredibly helpful not just for HR professionals, but for all types of employees. Ideally, you won’t have to make your way to the HR department very often (unless to process a raise!), but knowing how to talk about your rights and benefits with the right people can help you get the most out of your job. Here are the top human resources vocabulary words in Spanish.
| Spanish | English translation | Example sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| El empleado | Employee | Martín es el empleado más nuevo. | Martín is the newest employee. |
| El empleador | Employer | Esta maquiladora es uno de los empleadores más grandes del estado. | This factory is one of the biggest employers in the state. |
| El dueño | Business owner | El dueño va a venir a visitarnos hoy, así que todos tenemos que estar listos. | The owner will be paying us a visit today, so we’ll all have to be ready. |
| El socio | Business partner | Verónica es la socia mayoritaria, así que la decisión final es de ella. | Veronica is the senior partner, so the final decision is hers to make. |
| El trabajo de tiempo completo | Full-time job | No es fácil mantener un trabajo de tiempo completo y estudiar al mismo tiempo. | It’s not easy to keep a full-time job and study at the same time. |
| El trabajo de medio tiempo | Part-time job | Tener un trabajo de medio tiempo es una buena manera para que los adolescentes aprendan a valorar el dinero. | Having a part-time job is a great way for teenagers to learn the value of money. |
| Las horas laborales | Work hours | El sueldo es muy bueno, pero las horas laborales son largas. | The salary is very good, but the work hours are long. |
| Trabajar horas extras | To work overtime | Voy a trabajar horas extras para poder comprar un auto nuevo. | I’m going to work overtime so I can buy a new car. |
| El turno laboral | Work shift | Prefiero el turno laboral matutino que el vespertino. | I prefer the morning work shift over the evening one. |
| Las políticas de la empresa | Company policies | Las políticas de la empresa garantizan dos días de descanso a la semana. | The company’s policies guarantee two days of rest per week. |
| Las prestaciones | Benefits | Esta empresa ofrece prestaciones superiores a la ley. | This company offers higher benefits than required by law. |
| El permiso de maternidad | Maternity leave | El permiso de maternidad de esta empresa podría ser un poco mejor. | The maternity leave policies at this company could be a little better. |
| El permiso de paternidad | Paternity leave | ¿Cuál es la política de permiso de paternidad de esta empresa? | What is the paternity leave policy at this company? |
| El plan de retiro | Retirement plan | El plan de retiro para empleados es muy generoso. | The retirement fund for employees is very generous. |
| El seguro social | Social security | Los programas de seguro social en Chile son robustos. | The social security programs in Chile are quite robust. |
| Las retenciones de impuestos | Tax retentions | En este trabajo no hay retenciones de impuestos, así que tú tendrás que encargarte de ello en tu declaración anual. | There are no tax retentions in this job, so you’ll have to handle that in your yearly tax filings. |
| El seguro de gastos médico | Health insurance | El seguro de gastos médicos se descuenta del salario. | The health insurance costs are deducted from the salary. |
| El seguro dental | Dental insurance | El seguro dental es opcional. | Dental insurance is optional. |
| El fondo de pensión | Retirement fund | Contribuir al fondo de pensión de la empresa es una buena manera de invertir en tu futuro. | Contributing to the company’s retirement fund is a good way to invest in your future. |
| Los días libres | Days off | ¿Qué es lo que más te gusta hacer en tus días libres? | What do you like doing the most on your days off? |
| El mercado laboral | Labor market | El mercado laboral está saturado, así que es difícil encontrar un buen trabajo. | The labor market is saturated, so finding a good job is difficult. |
| El salario mínimo | Minimum wage | El salario mínimo ha incrementado mucho en los últimos años. | The minimum wage has increased a lot over the past few years. |
| El examen psicométrico | Psychometric evaluation. | Antes de comenzar a trabajar, es necesario realizar un examen psicométrico. | Before starting work, you must take a psychometric evaluation. |
| La indemnización | Severance pay | El departamento de recursos humanos confirmará cuánto te toca de indemnización. | The human resources department will confirm how much you’ll get in severance pay. |
Job interview vocabulary in Spanish
Having a job interview in Spanish can seem like a daunting task — until you have the following vocabulary under your belt. Once you learn a few handy words and phrases, you’ll realize that having a job interview in Spanish is just like having any other conversation.
| Spanish | English translation | Example sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buscar trabajo | To look for a job | Voy a empezar a buscar trabajo en cuanto me gradúe. | I will start looking for a job as soon as I graduate. |
| Solictar empleo | To apply for a job | Me gustaría solicitar empleo en esa compañía. | I would like to apply for a job at that company. |
| La solicitud de empleo | Job application | ¿Me podrías ayudar a revisar mi solicitud de empleo, por favor? | Could you help me look over my job application, please? |
| El sueldo deseado | Salary expectations | Me ofrecieron un trabajo, pero la oferta está muy por debajo de mi sueldo deseado. | I was offered a job, but the offer was way below my salary expectations. |
| Tener experiencia | To have experience | No es necesario contar con un título universitario para este puesto, solo tener experiencia es suficiente. | Having a university degree isn’t necessary for this role, you just need to have enough experience. |
| Las habilidades de liderazgo | Leadership skills | Tener buenas habilidades de liderazgo es una cualidad indispensable. | Having good leadership skills is an indispensable quality. |
| El proyecto | Project | Estefanía está trabajando en un proyecto muy especial, por favor no la distraigan. | Estefanía is working on a very special project, please do not distract her. |
| El CV | Resume | Ya le envié mi CV por correo electrónico, por favor confirme que lo recibió. | I already sent you my resume by email, please confirm that you’ve received it. |
| La entrevista laboral | Job interview | Mi entrevista laboral es el jueves. | My job interview is on Thursday. |
| El candidato | Candidate | El candidato ideal tendrá experiencia en márketing digital. | The ideal candidate will have experience in digital marketing. |
| El título universitario | University degree | Lo único restante para completar el proceso de contratación es entregar una copia de tu título universitario al departamento de recursos humanos. | The only thing outstanding before completing the hiring process is turning in a copy of your university degree to the human resources department. |
| La licenciatura | Bachelor's degree | Tengo una licenciatura en ciencias del medio ambiente. | I have a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. |
| La maestría | Master’s degree | El próximo año pienso ir a España a estudiar la maestría. | I plan on going to Spain next year to get my master’s degree. |
| El doctorado | Doctorate, PhD | Hace mucho que no veo a Juan porque está haciendo un doctorado en Boston. | I haven’t seen Juan in a long time because he’s doing a PhD in Boston. |
| Graduar de | Graduate from | Sandra se graduó de la Universidad de los Andes. | Sandra graduated from the University of the Andes. |
| Fortalezas y debilidades | Strengths and weaknesses | Recuerda tener bien claro cuáles son tus fortalezas y debilidades antes de ir a tu entrevista. | Remember to know exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are before your interview. |
| La experiencia laboral | Work experience | La experiencia laboral es sumamente importante para conseguir un buen empleo. | Work experience is extremely important for finding a good job. |
Example job interview
A job interview can be nerve-wracking for many reasons, but you shouldn’t let a language barrier be one of them. Check out the following example of a job interview in Spanish featuring some of the words and phrases in the section above to ace your next job interview.
| Person | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Interviewer: | Buen día, mucho gusto conocerte. Gracias por venir a la entrevista. | Good day, it’s very nice to meet you. Thank you for coming to the interview. |
| Interviewee: | Buen día, mucho gusto. Gracias a usted por su tiempo. | Good day, it’s very nice to meet you. Thank you for your time. |
| Interviewer: | Bueno, comenzemos. ¿Cuál es tu experiencia laboral? | Alright, let’s begin. What’s your work experience? |
| Interviewee: | Tengo dos años de experiencia trabajando en una agencia de márketing. También tengo una licenciatura en márketing y una maestría en márketing digital. | I have two years of experience working for a marketing agency. I also have a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in digital marketing. |
| Interviewer: | Gracias. ¿Cuáles consideras que son tus fortalezas y debilidades? | Thanks. What do you consider are your biggest strengths and biggest weaknesses? |
| Interviewee: | Mis mayores fortalezas son el trabajo en equipo, la puntualidad y la atención a detalle. Mi mayor debilidad es ser perfeccionista y tomar mucho tiempo en los detalles. | My biggest strengths are teamwork, punctuality, and attention to detail. My biggest weakness is being a perfectionist and spending too much time focused on the details. |
| Interviewer: | Muy bien. ¿Por qué quieres trabajar con nosotros? | Very good. Why do you want to work with us? |
| Interviewee: | Me parece que esta es una empresa líder en el mercado. Sus productos son muy innovadores y me gustaría ser parte de una empresa tan revolucionaria. Además, creo que los valores y la misión de esta empresa están bien alineados con los míos. | It seems to me that this is a leading company in the industry. Your products are very innovative and I would like to be a part of such a revolutionary company. |
| Interviewer: | Excelente. ¿Por qué crees que eres un buen candidato para este puesto? | Excellent. Why do you think you’re a good candidate for this position? |
| Interviewee: | Tuve un puesto muy similar en mi trabajo anterior. Gracias a mis iniciativas, mi programa creció un 150% durante los dos años que estuve en ese puesto. Además, una de las cartas de referencia que entregué con mi solicitud es de mi jefe anterior, quien mencionó que superé sus expectativas. | I had a very similar role in my previous job. Thanks to my initiatives, my program grew by 150% over the two years I was there. Furthermore, one of the letters of reference I turned in with my application was from my former boss, who mentioned that I exceeded their expectations. |
| Interviewer: | Excelente. Bueno, eso es todo de mi parte. ¿Tienes alguna pregunta para mí? | Excellent. Okay, that’s it from my part. Do you have any questions for me? |
| Interviewee: | Sí, me gustaría saber acerca de la cultura laboral de la empresa. ¿Cómo describirían los demás empleados que es trabajar aquí? | Yes, I would like to know more about the company’s work culture. |
| Interviewer: | Muy buena pregunta. Creo que todos estarían de acuerdo en que es un ambiente sumamente colaborativo. Por ende, la presión de cada empleado es muy baja. Todos trabajamos en equipo para resolver cualquier problema. | That’s a very good question. I think everyone would agree that this is a very collaborative environment. Therefore, each employee has very little individual pressure. We all work together as a team to resolve any problems. |
| Interviewee: | Suena como un muy buen ambiente laboral. Y, ¿cuáles son las prestaciones de la empresa? | That sounds like a great work environment. And, what are the benefits at the company? |
| Interviewer: | Ofrecemos prestaciones superiores a las de la ley. Cada empleado cuenta con dos días libres a la semana y veinte días de vacaciones al año. | We offer benefits higher than those stipulated by law. Each employee has two days off per week and twenty vacation days per year. |
| Interviewee: | Me parece perfecto. Por último, ¿cuál es el sueldo de este puesto? | That sounds great. Lastly, what’s the salary of this role? |
| Interviewer: | Por el momento, podemos ofrecer un sueldo de 40,000 pesos mensuales. | For the time being, we can offer a salary of 40,000 pesos per month. |
| Interviewee: | Me parece bien. Muchas gracias por su tiempo. | That sounds good. Thank you for your time. |
Legal vocabulary
Studying to become an amazing attorney takes years of painstaking study — but learning how to use legal terminology in Spanish does not. If you’re an attorney or work in the legal industry, then check out the following legal words in Spanish.
| Spanish | English translation | Example sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| El demandante | Plaintiff | El demandante está buscando una compensación por un millón de soles. | The plaintiff is looking for one million Soles in compensation. |
| El acusado | Defendant | El acusado contrató al mejor abogado de defensa de la ciudad. | The defendant hired the best defense attorney in town. |
| El abogado | Attorney | Mi papá es abogado de lesiones personales. | My dad is a personal injury lawyer. |
| El juez | Judge | El juez no estuvo de acuerdo con el comportamiento del acusado. | The judge was not in favor of the behavior of the defendant. |
| El jurado | Jury | El jurado deliberó durante muchas horas. | The jury deliberated for many hours. |
| El tribunal | Court | Este es el tribunal más importante de la nación. | This is the highest court in the nation. |
| La policía | Police | La policía presentó evidencias contra el acusado. | The police presented evidence against the defendant. |
| El crimen | Crime | Este gobierno está tomando muy seriamente el crimen. | This administration is taking crime very seriously. |
| Cometer un delito | To commit a crime | Antes de viajar, es importante leer acerca de las leyes de otros países para no cometer un delito por accidente. | Before traveling, it’s very important to read about the laws of other countries to avoid committing a crime by accident. |
| La infracción | Ticket | Puedes pagar tu infracción por internet. | You can pay your ticket online. |
| Arrestar | To arrest | No vayas a pasarte del tiempo de tu visa, te podrían arrestar. | Make sure not to overstay your visa, you could be arrested. |
| El juicio | Trial | El juicio del criminal será la próxima semana. | The criminal’s trial will be happening next week. |
| La ley | The law | Recuerda no tirar basura en la calle, es la ley. | Remember not to litter the street, it’s the law. |
| Bajo juramento | Under oath | No decir la verdad bajo juramento es uno de los delitos más graves que hay. | Not saying the truth under oath is one of the gravest crimes out there. |
| Apelar | To appeal | El acusado ha decidido apelar la decisión del jurado. | The defendant has decided to appeal the jury’s decision. |
| Absolver | To acquit | El juez decidió absolver al acusado por completo. | The judge decided to acquit the defendant. |
| La evidencia | Evidence | La evidencia presentada no fue suficiente para convencer al jurado. | The evidence presented wasn’t sufficient to convince the jury. |
| Entrar en vigor | To take effect | Esta nueva ley entrará en vigor hasta el próximo año. | This new law will take effect next year. |
| El testigo | Witness | El acusado salió libre porque ningún testigo confirmó la versión de la historia del demandante. | The defendant was set free because none of the witnesses could confirm the plaintiff’s version of the events. |
| Fallar | To rule | El juez falló a favor del demandante. | The judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff. |
| El expediente | Case file | El abogado revisó detenidamente el expediente antes de la audiencia. | The lawyer carefully reviewed the case file before the hearing. |
| El recurso | Appeal | El acusado presentó un recurso ante la corte superior. | The defendant filed an appeal with the higher court. |
| La sentencia | Sentence | La sentencia del acusado será dictada la próxima semana. | The defendant's sentence will be pronounced next week. |
| La libertad condicional | Parole | El acusado obtuvo la libertad condicional después de cumplir la mitad de su condena. | The defendant was granted parole after serving half of his sentence. |
| El arresto domiciliario | House arrest | El acusado cumplirá su condena bajo arresto domiciliario. | The defendant will serve his sentence under house arrest. |
| La multa | Fine | El acusado fue condenado a pagar una multa de mil dólares. | The defendant was sentenced to pay a fine of one thousand dollars. |
| El delito menor | Misdemeanor | El robo de tiendas es considerado un delito menor en este estado. | Shoplifting is considered a misdemeanor in this state. |
| El delito grave | Felony | El asesinato es considerado un delito grave en todos los estados. | Murder is considered a felony in all states. |
| La cadena perpetua | Life sentence | El acusado fue condenado a cadena perpetua por sus crímenes. | The defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment for his crimes. |
| La pena de muerte | Death penalty | La pena de muerte sigue siendo un tema controvertido en muchos países. | The death penalty remains a controversial issue in many countries. |
| La justicia | Justice | Es importante que todos sean tratados con justicia ante la ley. | It's important that everyone is treated justly under the law. |
| El abogado defensor | Defense lawyer | El abogado defensor presentó pruebas en favor de su cliente. | The defense lawyer presented evidence in favor of his client. |
| El abogado acusador | Prosecutor | El abogado acusador presentó pruebas contundentes en el juicio. | The prosecutor presented compelling evidence in the trial. |
| El testimonio | Testimony | El testimonio del testigo fue crucial para el veredicto. | The witness testimony was crucial for the verdict. |
| La corte suprema | Supreme Court | La corte suprema es la máxima autoridad judicial en el país. | The Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the country. |
| El juicio oral | Oral trial | En el juicio oral se presentaron todos los argumentos. | All arguments were presented in the oral trial. |
| El derecho penal | Criminal law | Estoy estudiando derecho penal en la universidad. | I'm studying criminal law at university. |
Healthcare vocabulary
Every professional in the healthcare industry knows that being able to communicate clearly and compassionately with their patients is one of the most important skills to have. Even if you’re not fluent, knowing a few medical Spanish terms will help you communicate with more of your patients — and reassure them that they’re in good hands.
| Spanish | English translation | Example sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| La medicina | Medicine | La medicina moderna es uno de los mejores desarrollos del último siglo. | Modern medicine is one of the biggest developments of the past century. |
| El doctor | Doctor | La doctora González te atenderá el día de hoy. | Dr. González will be seeing you today. |
| El médico | Medic | ¿Hay algún médico por aquí? No me siento muy bien. | Is there a medic near here? I don’t feel very well. |
| El dentista | Dentist | ¿Me podrías recomendar un buen dentista en Buenos Aires? | Could you recommend a good dentist in Buenos Aires? |
| El dermatólogo | Dermatologist | Paola ya terminó la carrera de medicina, pero ahora se está especializado como dermatóloga. | Paola finished her medical degree, but now she’s specializing as a dermatologist. |
| El ginecólogo | Gynecologist | Necesito encontrar a un nuevo ginecólogo. | I need to find a new gynecologist. |
| El neurólogo | Neurologist | No me ha dejado de doler la cabeza en varios días, creo que tengo que ir a ver a un neurólogo. | I’ve had a headache nonstop for a few days now, I think I need to go see a neurologist. |
| El nutriólogo | Nutritionist | Hoy tengo cita con un nutriólogo para que me ayude a crear una dieta para mi programa de entrenamiento. | I have an appointment with a nutritionist later today so they can help me create a diet plan for my training program. |
| El oftalmólogo | Ophthalmologist | Fui con el oftalmólogo y me dijo que tengo visión 20/20. | I went to see the ophthalmologist and they said I have 20/20 vision. |
| El pediatra | Pediatrician | Qué coincidencia, el pediatra de mis hijos también se llama Jorge. | What a coincidence, my kids’ pediatrician is also named Jorge. |
| El fisioterapeuta | Physical therapist | Necesito ver a mi fisioterapeuta dos veces a la semana desde que me lesioné. | I need to see my physical therapist twice a week now ever since I got injured. |
| El psiquiatra | Psychiatrist | No tiene nada de malo ir al psiquiatra, deberías considerarlo. | There’s nothing wrong with seeing a psychiatrist, you should consider it. |
| El psicólogo | Psychologist | A mí me parece que todos deberíamos de ir al psicólogo regularmente. | I think that we should all see a psychologist regularly. |
| El hospital | Hospital | Este es el hospital donde nacieron todos mis hijos. | This is the hospital where all of my children were born. |
| El consultorio | Doctor’s office | Recuerda llegar al consultorio con 15 minutos de anticipación. | Remember to get to the doctor’s office 15 minutes ahead of time. |
| La sala de emergencias | Emergency room | Creo que Francisco se rompió el brazo, necesitamos ir a la sala de emergencias de inmediato. | I think that Francisco broke his arm, we need to go back to the emergency room immediately. |
| Enfermero | Nurse | Mi abuela tiene una enfermera que se encarga de ella todo el tiempo. | My grandma has a nurse that takes care of her full-time. |
| Enfermo | Sick | Disculpe, maestro, no podré asistir a clase hoy porque estoy enfermo. | I’m sorry, teacher, I won’t be able to attend class today because I’m sick. |
| La enfermedad | Disease | El cáncer es una de las enfermedades más severas. | Cancer is one of the most severe diseases. |
| La infección | Infection | Juanito no podrá ir a la escuela hoy porque tiene una infección de garganta. | Juanito won’t be able to attend school today because he has a throat infection. |
| El virus | Virus | Recuerda lavarte las manos seguido para prevenir contagiarte de un virus. | Remember to wash your hands often to prevent catching a virus. |
| El cáncer | Cancer | Hacer ejercicio frecuentemente puede reducir tus probabilidades de tener cáncer en el futuro. | Working out regularly can reduce your probability of having cancer in the future. |
| La fiebre | Fever | Es importante ir a ver a un doctor si tienes fiebre. | It’s important to see a doctor if you have a fever. |
| El dolor | Pain | Tengo un dolor de muela desde hace varios días. | I have had a toothache for a few days. |
| La cirugía | Surgery | Si todo sale bien, la cirugía solo durará un par de horas. | If everything goes well, the surgery will only last for a couple of hours. |
| La anestesia | Anesthesia | No sentí nada de dolor gracias a la anestesia. | I didn’t feel any pain thanks to the anesthesia. |
| La sangre | Blood | No me gusta ver esa película porque sale mucha sangre. | I don’t like watching that movie because there’s a lot of blood in it. |
| Las alergias | Allergies | Odio esta temporada del año por las alergias. | I hate this time of the year because of my allergies. |
| La ambulancia | Ambulance | Si ves que viene una ambulancia detrás de ti al conducir, es muy importante que te orilles para dejarla pasar. | If you see that there’s an ambulance behind you while you drive, you need to pull over to let it through. |
| El antibiótico | Antibiotics | Los antibióticos son esenciales para combatir ciertos tipos de infecciones, pero no hay que abusar de ellos. | Antibiotics are essential for fighting certain types of infections, but it’s important to not abuse them. |
| Las bacterias | Bacteria | Recuerda lavarte las manos para no enfermarte por las bacterias. | Remember to wash your hands to avoid getting sick from bacteria. |
| El análisis de sangre | Blood analysis | Un análisis de sangre te podrá ayudar a decidir qué vitaminas tomar. | A blood analysis could help you decide which vitamins to take. |
| La presión arterial | Blood pressure | No olvides hacerte una prueba de presión arterial regularmente para evitar problemas. | Don’t forget to take a blood pressure test regularly to avoid problems. |
| El infarto | Heart attack | ¡No me digas eso que me va a dar un infarto! | Don’t tell me that cause I’m going to have a heart attack! |
| El paro cardíaco | Cardiac arrest | El paciente sufrió un paro cardíaco fulminante. | The patient suffered a deadly cardiac arrest. |
| El botiquín de emergencias | First-aid kit | Hay un botiquín de emergencias en este clóset. | There’s a first-aid kit in that closet. |
| Estar intoxicado | To have food poisoning | Disculpa, no podré ir a la oficina hoy porque creo que estoy intoxicada. | I’m sorry, I won’t be able to come to the office today because I think I have food poisoning. |
| La inflamación | Inflammation | Esta pomada es para reducir la inflamación. | This ointment will help reduce inflammation. |
| La jeringa | Syringe | Cuando era pequeño, le tenía pánico a todo tipo de jeringas. | When I was a kid, I had a deep fear of all kinds of syringes. |
| El termómetro | Thermometer | Creo que tengo fiebre, así que voy a ir a comprar un termómetro. | I think I have a fever, so I will go buy a thermometer. |
| La vacuna | Vaccine | Aunque duelan por unos momentos, las vacunas pueden ayudar a prevenir muchas enfermedades severas. | Even though they hurt for a few moments, vaccines can help prevent many severe diseases. |
| La radiografía | X-ray | Necesitamos hacer una radiografía para confirmar que el brazo está roto. | We need to take an X-ray to confirm that the arm is indeed broken. |
| Las pastillas | Pills | Tengo que tomar varias pastillas para acabar con esa infección. | I have to take a few pills to get rid of that infection. |
| Los síntomas | Symptoms | Tengo todos los síntomas de COVID-19, pero mi prueba salió negativa. | I have all the symptoms of COVID-19, but my test result was negative. |
| La náusea | Nausea | No voy a comer hoy, tengo náusea. | I won’t be eating today, I have nausea. |
| El estreñimiento | Constipation | Comer más fibra es la mejor manera de prevenir el estreñimiento. | Eating more fiber is the best way to prevent constipation. |
| La falta de aire | Shortness of breath | Si tiendes a sufrir de falta de aire, entonces escalar esta montaña no es una buena idea. | If you tend to suffer from shortness of breath, then climbing this mountain isn’t a good idea. |
| La fatiga | Fatigue | No sé qué me está pasando, pero he tenido mucha fatiga estas últimas semanas. | I don’t know what’s happening, but I’ve had a lot of fatigue over the past few weeks. |
| El mareo | Motion sickness | ¿Alguien tiene medicina para el mareo? | Does anybody have medicine for motion sickness? |
| La receta | Prescription | Esta medicina solo está disponible con receta. | This medicine is only available with a prescription. |
Other industry-specific vocabulary
We could spend all day talking about countless business terms in Spanish, and we still wouldn’t even scratch the surface. However, here are some common industry-specific vocabulary words in Spanish to help you get started. If you have any questions about a specific industry or want to learn more about it, consider booking a private Spanish lesson to power up your skills.
| Spanish | English translation | Example sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| El turismo | Tourism | La industria del turismo es la mayor fuente de ingresos del estado. | The tourism industry is the biggest source of income for the state. |
| La atención médica | Healthcare | Juan quiere trabajar en la industria de la atención médica. | Juan wants to work in the healthcare industry. |
| La tecnología | Technology | Los trabajos en la industria de la tecnología pagan muy bien. | Jobs in the tech industry are very well paid. |
| La educación | Education | Mauricio quiere un trabajo en el área de la educación para poder ayudar a los niños. | Mauricio wants a job in the education field to be able to help the children. |
| El maestro | Teacher | Hoy es el día del maestro, así que no olviden felicitar a todos sus maestros. | Today is teacher’s day, so don’t forget to congratulate all of your teachers. |
| El profesor | Professor | El Dr. Sánchez es mi profesor favorito. | Dr. Sánchez is my favorite professor. |
| La arquitectura | Architecture | Siempre me ha apasionado la arquitectura. | I’ve always been passionate about architecture. |
| El arquitecto | Architect | Necesito encontrar al arquitecto ideal para mi nueva casa. | I need to find the right architect for my new home. |
| La política | Politics | Es muy difícil mantenerse al tanto de todo lo que pasa en el mundo de la política. | Staying on top of everything that happens in the world of politics is very hard. |
| El político | Politician | Me interesa mucho la política, pero no me gustaría ser político. | I’m very interested in politics, but I wouldn’t like being a politician. |
| El actor | Actor | Ser actor es más difícil de lo que parece. | Being an actor is much harder than it seems. |
| El administrador | Administrator | Habla con el administrador de la empresa para ver si hay algún trabajo disponible. | Talk to the company administrator to see if there are any jobs available. |
| El desarrollador web | Web developer | No es necesario tener un título universitario para ser desarrollador web. | Having a university degree isn’t necessary to become a web developer. |
| El diseñador gráfico | Graphic designer | Encontré al mejor diseñador gráfico para mi nueva campaña publicitaria. | I found the best graphic designer ever for my new publicity campaign. |
| El programador | Programmer | Martina es programadora, por eso trabaja desde casa. | Martina is a programmer, which is why she works from home. |
| La contaduría | Accounting | Antes quería estudiar contaduría, pero me di cuenta que no me gustan los números. | I wanted to study accounting before, but I realized that I don’t like numbers much. |
| El contador | Accountant | ¿Alguien tiene un buen contador que me pueda recomendar? | Does anyone have a good accountant that they can recommend to me? |
| La ingeniería | Engineering | Me interesa la ingeniería, pero no sé qué rama escoger. | I’m interested in engineering, but I don’t know which branch to choose. |
| El ingeniero | Engineer | Contrataron a un ingeniero nuevo para ayudar con la carga laboral. | They hired a new engineer to help out with the workload. |
| El profesionista | Office worker | Ser profesionista me aburre mucho, creo que debería buscar un trabajo más activo. | I find being an office worker very boring, I think I should find a more active job. |
| La psicología | Psychology | Estoy muy emocionado de comenzar a estudiar psicología. | I’m very excited to start studying psychology. |
| El psicólogo | Therapist | Ser psicólogo no es un trabajo fácil. | Being a psychologist isn’t an easy job. |
| El psiquiatra | Psychiatrist | Para ser psiquiatra, primero es necesario estudiar medicina. | To be a psychiatrist, you first have to study to be a medical doctor. |
| El trabajador | Worker | Hay muy pocos trabajadores en este proyecto. | There are very few workers on this project. |
How to write business documents in Spanish
Being able to perform well in business meetings in Spanish can be a great skill, but you’ll usually need some written communication before getting to those meetings. For example, you’ll have to write a resume in Spanish before you land the job and you’ll have to send some business emails in Spanish before you book that meeting. Here are some tips to help you write your first few business documents in Spanish.
How to write a cover letter in Spanish
A great cover letter can make the difference between someone ignoring your job application and landing your first job interview. Although it may seem like a chore, it’s important to spend some time crafting the perfect Spanish cover letter. Here is a good structure to follow:
Name. Start by writing out your full legal name.
Address and location. Enter your address, including the city where you live.
Contact information. Enter your phone number and email address.
Name and company of the recipient. Enter the full name of the recipient along with their job title, if available. Follow that with the name of the company and its address, if available.
Introductory paragraph. State who you’re addressing and why you’re doing so. In other words, mention that you’re reaching out to the hiring manager because you’re interested in applying to a specific position.
Body paragraph 1. State why you’re interested in the vacant position, including your work experience, educational background, and career interests.
Body paragraph 2. Knock it out of the park with some reasons why you are the ideal candidate for this job. Include any outstanding achievements from previous jobs as well as any awards you've received.
Request an interview. Kindly ask for a chance to speak with the hiring manager to explore if you would be a good fit for the role.
Final acknowledgment. Thank the hiring manager for their time and enter a final greeting.
Signature. Add your full name followed by your signature.
How to write a resume in Spanish
If you’ve ever applied for a job or internship abroad, you might already know that different countries have different customs and expectations around resumes. This also applies to variations within Spanish-speaking countries, so make sure to research resume customs for your desired country!
With that said, you can follow these tips to write your first resume in Spanish:
Add some personal style. Don’t be afraid to venture outside of 12-pt Times New Roman when you make your first Spanish resume. Add some color to your resume and use more stylish font types that align with your personality to make a good first impression.
Avoid crowding. Resume real estate is extremely valuable, and almost every blank space on that one page needs to be filled with countless details of all your incredible accomplishments. In Spanish, there is no need to delve into the details in your resume. Keep your descriptions short and sweet to avoid crowding your resume.
Don’t be afraid to go beyond one page. Speaking of that golden one-page rule, feel free to ignore that as well. If you’ve got enough experience, feel free to go up to two pages when writing your Spanish resume. Unless you’re padding with useless or made-up information, nobody will mind reviewing your two-page resume.
Include a headshot. They’re expected in most Spanish-speaking countries. Include a professional headshot at the top of your resume, next to your personal information. Think LinkedIn profile picture!
Include complete personal information. Always start your Spanish resume by listing your personal information details. Make sure to include your full legal name, age or date of birth, full address, desired role, email address, phone, and nationality.
Qualify your skills. Instead of describing your skills in detail, use simple qualifiers like “advanced” or “intermediate” to quickly convey your skill level.
How to write a business email in Spanish
Speaking Spanish slang is all fun and games until you need to write a formal business email. While it is true that WhatsApp remains king in business communications in Mexico, email communications are still quite common, especially when establishing a business relationship for the first time. Use the following phrases when drafting a business email in Spanish:
| Spanish | English translation | How to use |
|---|---|---|
| A quién corresponda | To whom it may concern | Used when you don’t know the person you’re addressing. |
| Estimado/Estimada | Dear | Used to address the person you’re writing to, such as “Estimado Profesor González” |
| Mi nombre es… | My name is… | Used to introduce yourself when emailing someone for the first time. |
| Le escribo de parte de… | I’m writing on behalf of… | Used to specify your affiliation, such as your company or organization. |
| Quisiera saber si… | I would like to know if… | Used when you need to request something or ask a question. |
| Me comunico con usted para… | I’m reaching out to you to… | Used when you need to request something or ask a question. |
| El archivo adjunto. | The attached file. | Used when referencing an attached file. |
| Quedo a la espera de su respuesta. | I look forward to your response. | A polite way of letting the recipient know you’re expecting a response. |
| Quedo a su disposición. | I’m available should you need anything. | Politely offering to help with anything else. |
| Quedo al pendiente de cualquier duda. | I’m available in case you have any questions. | Politely offering to answer any questions. |
| Muchas gracias por su ayuda. | Thank you for your help. | Used to close out the email by thanking the recipient for their time. |
| Gracias por su atención. | Thank you for your attention | Polite way to thank the recipient for their time. |
| Saludos, | Regards, | Short closing word. |
| Saludos cordiales, | Kind regards, | Short closing phrase. |
| Atentamente, | Sincerely, | Short closing word. |
Spanish business culture and etiquette
Doing business in a Spanish-speaking country can be extremely rewarding (and fun!), but only if you’re aware of a few key cultural differences. No matter where you’re from, doing business in Spain and Latin America will surely take some getting used to, so you’ve made the right choice to look into Spanish business culture and etiquette before you make a faux pas.
Indeed, making a cultural mistake could result in offending your potential business partners and souring any chance of establishing a business relationship. That’s why many companies invest in cross-cultural training solutions to ensure that all team members can communicate effectively with people from around the world.
However, if you’re headed out to a Spanish-speaking country and need some cultural sensitivity tips ASAP, here are some main points to keep in mind in different countries:
Spanish business culture and etiquette
Punctuality. Running a few minutes late isn’t just acceptable in Spain — it’s practically encouraged. Don’t be surprised if people show up five to ten minutes late to your meeting.
Deadlines. Business people tend to treat deadlines more like “best by” dates. Unless explicitly stated, it is assumed that there is some flexibility to any deadline.
Working hours. While most Spanish workers also spend around 8 hours at the office, these hours tend to be much more flexible. Workdays typically begin much later, with 10 a.m. start times not being uncommon. However, that also means that working late is very common, with many offices staying packed until 8 p.m.
Work-life balance. In general, you want to avoid reaching out to anyone outside of normal working hours. This includes evenings and weekends, so unless it’s something urgent, avoid reaching out to your coworkers when they’re not at the office!
Hierarchical structure. Spanish companies tend to have a hierarchical — rather than a collaborative — structure. This means that decisions are made by managers and passed down the chain, and people are largely responsible for their own jobs.
Business meetings. Spanish companies tend to have far fewer business meetings than Canadian companies because they serve different purposes. Meetings in the Canada generally involve a lot of back-and-forth discussion as decisions are made in collaboration, whereas Spanish meetings are used as a way to relay new information.
Negotiations. Business people will expect to have built some rapport with you before getting into the negotiations. This generally involves touring the business premises, going out to lunch and/or dinner, and maybe even having a welcoming reception. Don’t try to rush into the negotiations as this may be off-putting.
Mexican business culture and etiquette
Business attire. Office attire in Mexico tends to be more formal than that of other Western countries. When it comes to the dress code for a business event in Mexico, it’s always better to be over rather than underdressed.
Communication is less direct. It is generally considered impolite to say no in Mexico, so you’ll find that many “yeses” that don’t actually mean yes. You’ll eventually learn to discern between a genuine and an insincere yes, but, for now, be weary of any yes that is anything but enthusiastic.
Bureaucracy can be a drag. Mexican bureaucracy can slow down business significantly. Be prepared for this by giving ample time to your negotiations.
Lunch meetings can get long. As in Spain, going for a business lunch before getting into the negotiations isn’t uncommon. However, be prepared for these lunches to take two or even three hours. On Fridays, it’s not uncommon for office workers to head out to lunch at 2 or 3 p.m. and not return to the office.
Bring business cards. Business cards are still very important in Mexico, and you’re expected to share your card any time you meet a new colleague.
Time is a construct. As in Spain, time isn’t an important consideration in Mexico. You’ll find that people tend to run on a five-to-ten-minute delay and work hours aren’t as rigid.
More Spanish business culture and etiquette in other Spanish-speaking countries
Most Spanish-speaking countries share most of the culture and etiquette practices in Spain and Mexico, particularly those around punctuality and developing personal relations before beginning negotiations. However, you should always research the specific country you’re planning to do business in, as each country is slightly different. Here are some considerations for a few other countries to keep in mind:
Argentina
Education and skills. People’s education qualifications and professional certifications play a big role. This means that using the right title when addressing someone is important, such as if you’re speaking with a licensed attorney or a doctor.
Soft-selling. Soft skills are extremely important when negotiating in Latin America, so don’t try to hard-sell your products or services to your Argentinian clients.
Colombia
Personal space isn’t a thing. Although physical touch isn’t expected beyond a firm handshake, Colombians have a much shorter communication distance. Don’t be surprised if people get a little closer than you’re used to when speaking to you.
Avoid embarrassing others. Pointing out other people’s mistakes in front of others is considered bad form, as that would be embarrassing for the other person. Instead, address these issues in private.
Peru
Decisions aren’t always made in meetings. As a highly hierarchical country, big decisions are usually made exclusively by a senior manager or the CEO. Depending on the size of the company, you may or may not be meeting with the actual decision-maker, so you’ll have to wait until the decisions are relayed.
Bring an interpreter. If you’re not a fluent Spanish speaker, then it will probably be a good idea to hire an interpreter to prevent misunderstandings.
Supercharge your career with this handy Spanish for business guide
Learning Spanish can be an incredibly fun way to give your career a boost. Not only will you be able to close major deals in Spanish-speaking markets but you’ll also get to experience life from an entirely different perspective. This can help you get more creative with your products and services as you learn from the Hispanic way of doing business.
Plus, when you inevitably visit one of the Spanish-speaking countries to make business deals, you’ll be perfectly equipped to order food at a restaurant, grab a coffee, and, why not, try some tasty beers. You can’t forget about playing hard after working hard!
If you’re now confident in your business abilities in a Spanish-speaking market and want to keep leveling up your Spanish, check out our language blog for more handy lessons and guides. And if you’re looking for a custom solution for your business needs, we also offer corporate language training for businesses.
