Introduction
In our increasingly connected world, technology has become an essential part of daily conversation. Whether you’re traveling through Spain, working with Latin American colleagues, or simply expanding your Spanish vocabulary, knowing how to discuss technology in Spanish is invaluable. This comprehensive guide will equip you with the terminology, phrases, and cultural insights needed to confidently navigate tech conversations in Spanish-speaking environments.
Essential Technology Vocabulary
Computer and Hardware Terms
When discussing technology in Spanish, you’ll first need to master the basic vocabulary related to computers and hardware. The word computadora is widely used in Latin America to refer to a computer, while in Spain, you’ll more commonly hear computadora referred to as ordenador. Both terms are correct, and Spanish learners should be familiar with both regional variations.
Your teclado (keyboard) and ratón or mouse are essential peripherals. Interestingly, many Spanish speakers have adopted the English word mouse, though ratón (literally meaning rat) is also widely accepted. The screen is called pantalla, whether you’re referring to your computer monitor, smartphone, or television display.
Other crucial hardware terms include impresora (printer), escáner (scanner), and altavoces or bocinas (speakers). In Latin America, bocinas is more common, while in Spain, altavoces is preferred. Your computer’s disco duro (hard drive) stores all your data, though increasingly, people are using almacenamiento en la nube (cloud storage).
Mobile Devices and Connectivity
The mobile revolution has brought new vocabulary into everyday Spanish. A smartphone is called teléfono inteligente or simply smartphone, with many Spanish speakers preferring the English loanword. Your mobile device needs a cargador (charger) and comes with various aplicaciones or apps (applications).
Connectivity terms are equally important. Wi-Fi is pronounced similarly in Spanish, though some speakers say it as wee-fee. The internet connection is conexión a Internet, and when something isn’t working, you might say no hay conexión (there’s no connection) or no tengo señal (I don’t have signal).
Data usage is datos móviles or datos celulares, and a hotspot is called punto de acceso or simply hotspot. When traveling, you might need to ask: ¿Hay Wi-Fi aquí? (Is there Wi-Fi here?) or ¿Cuál es la contraseña del Wi-Fi? (What’s the Wi-Fi password?). The word for password is contraseña, an essential term for any digital conversation.
Internet and Social Media Terminology
Browsing and Online Activities
To discuss your online activities in Spanish, you’ll need verbs and phrases that describe internet use. Navegar por Internet means to browse the internet, combining the verb navegar (to navigate) with Internet. You might also hear buscar en línea (to search online) or googlear, a verb derived from Google that has become accepted in informal Spanish.
When you want to download something, you use descargar, and to upload is subir or cargar. For example, Voy a descargar esta aplicación (I’m going to download this application) or Necesito subir estas fotos (I need to upload these photos).
A website is called sitio web or página web, with both terms used interchangeably. The browser you use is your navegador, whether it’s Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. When something loads slowly, you might complain: La página está cargando muy lento (The page is loading very slowly).
Social Media Expressions
Social media has created an entirely new vocabulary in Spanish. To post something is publicar or postear, with postear being a direct borrowing from English that’s widely used, especially among younger speakers. A post itself is publicación or simply post.
When you like something on social media, you give it a me gusta (literally, it pleases me). To share content is compartir, and to comment is comentar. Your followers are seguidores, and the people you follow are seguidos or las personas que sigues.
Hashtags remain hashtags in Spanish, though some speakers call them etiquetas. Going viral is described as volverse viral or hacerse viral. You might hear: Este video se hizo viral (This video went viral) or Tiene millones de vistas (It has millions of views), using vistas to mean views.
Common Tech Actions and Verbs
Daily Technology Operations
Understanding the verbs associated with technology use is crucial for natural conversation. To turn on a device is encender or prender, with prender being more common in Latin America. To turn off is apagar. You might say: Voy a apagar la computadora (I’m going to turn off the computer).
When your device freezes, you can say se congeló or se trabó. To restart is reiniciar, and to reset is restablecer or resetear. If you need technical support, you might explain: Mi teléfono se congeló y necesito reiniciarlo (My phone froze and I need to restart it).
Installing software is instalar, and uninstalling is desinstalar. To update is actualizar, an important verb since devices constantly need updates. The noun form is actualización. When prompted to update, you’ll see messages like: Hay una nueva actualización disponible (There’s a new update available).
Communication Verbs
Modern communication requires specific verbs in Spanish. To send a message is enviar un mensaje or mandar un mensaje, with both verbs meaning to send. To receive is recibir. In texting culture, you might say: ¿Recibiste mi mensaje? (Did you receive my message?)
Making calls uses llamar, while video calls are videollamadas. To make a video call, you say hacer una videollamada. Email in Spanish is correo electrónico, though many speakers simply say email. Sending an email is enviar un correo electrónico.
For messaging apps, to text someone is enviar un mensaje de texto or colloquially textear. Voice messages are mensajes de voz or audios. You might hear: Te voy a mandar un audio (I’m going to send you a voice message).
Problem-Solving and Technical Issues
Describing Technical Problems
When technology fails, you need vocabulary to describe what’s wrong. No funciona (it doesn’t work) is the most basic phrase. More specifically, está roto means it’s broken, while está dañado indicates it’s damaged. If something is slow, you say está lento.
Battery issues are common. La batería está baja means the battery is low, and se acabó la batería means the battery died. To charge your device is cargar, as in: Necesito cargar mi teléfono (I need to charge my phone). A dead battery might prompt you to say: Se me acabó la batería.
Connection problems use phrases like no tengo conexión (I don’t have connection), la señal es débil (the signal is weak), or se cayó la conexión (the connection dropped). Storage issues are expressed as: No tengo espacio (I don’t have space) or La memoria está llena (The memory is full).
Seeking Technical Help
When you need assistance, useful phrases include: ¿Me puedes ayudar con esto? (Can you help me with this?) or No sé cómo funciona (I don’t know how it works). To ask for instructions, say: ¿Cómo se hace? (How do you do it?) or ¿Puedes mostrarme? (Can you show me?).
Technical support is soporte técnico or asistencia técnica. A technician is técnico, and a computer specialist is especialista en informática. When describing an issue to support, you might begin: Tengo un problema con mi computadora (I have a problem with my computer).
Software and Applications
Programs and Operating Systems
Software in Spanish is software, pronounced approximately as sof-wair. The operating system is sistema operativo. Common systems retain their names: Windows is Windows, but you might hear it pronounced with a Spanish accent as ween-dos.
A program or application is programa or aplicación. To open a program is abrir, and to close is cerrar. Files are archivos, and folders are carpetas. You organize your computer by creating carpetas for different types of archivos.
File formats maintain their English abbreviations: PDF is PDF, JPEG is JPEG, and so on. However, when discussing them, you might say: un archivo en formato PDF. To save a file is guardar, and to save as is guardar como.
Entertainment and Multimedia
Streaming has become part of everyday vocabulary. To stream is transmitir en línea or simply hacer streaming. Music streaming services are servicios de streaming de música. You might say: Voy a ver una película en streaming (I’m going to watch a movie streaming).
To watch videos online is ver videos en línea. A video is video or vídeo depending on regional spelling preferences. A podcast remains podcast in Spanish, though it’s pronounced pod-cast with Spanish phonetics.
Gaming vocabulary includes videojuegos (video games), jugar en línea (to play online), and consola (console). Gamers are jugadores or gamers, with the English word commonly used among gaming communities.
Professional and Educational Technology
Office and Productivity Tools
In professional settings, knowing workplace technology terms is essential. A presentation is presentación, and a spreadsheet is hoja de cálculo. Documents are documentos, and to edit is editar.
Virtual meetings are reuniones virtuales or juntas virtuales in Latin America. To schedule a meeting is programar una reunión. Video conferencing platforms like Zoom are referred to by name, and you might say: Tenemos una reunión por Zoom (We have a Zoom meeting).
Cloud computing is computación en la nube, and cloud-based documents are documentos en la nube. Collaboration tools use herramientas de colaboración. To share a document, you say: Voy a compartir el documento contigo (I’m going to share the document with you).
Online Learning Vocabulary
With the rise of remote learning, educational technology terms have become important. An online course is curso en línea, and e-learning is aprendizaje en línea or e-learning. A webinar is seminario web or webinar.
To enroll in a course is inscribirse en un curso or matricularse. Educational platforms are plataformas educativas, and virtual classrooms are aulas virtuales. Students might say: Estoy tomando un curso en línea (I’m taking an online course).
Regional Variations and Cultural Notes
Spain versus Latin America
Technology vocabulary varies between Spain and Latin America. Beyond ordenador versus computadora, Spain uses móvil for cell phone, while Latin America uses celular. Both regions understand both terms, but using the local variant sounds more natural.
In Spain, to call someone on the phone is llamar por teléfono, while in some Latin American countries, people say hablar por teléfono. The verb llamar is universal, but these subtle differences exist in colloquial speech.
Interestingly, English loanwords are sometimes more accepted in certain regions. Spain tends to maintain Spanish equivalents more strictly, while Latin American Spanish, particularly influenced by proximity to the United States, often adopts English tech terms directly.
Generational Language Differences
Younger Spanish speakers frequently code-switch between Spanish and English when discussing technology. They might say: Voy a hacer un post instead of Voy a hacer una publicación. This linguistic flexibility reflects how quickly technology evolves and how English dominates the tech industry.
Older generations typically prefer traditional Spanish terms and may not be familiar with newer slang or borrowed words. When communicating across generations, it’s helpful to use more standard Spanish terminology and avoid excessive use of English loanwords.
Practical Phrases for Real Situations
At the Electronics Store
When shopping for technology, you’ll need specific phrases. To ask for recommendations, say: ¿Qué me recomienda? (What do you recommend?) or ¿Cuál es el mejor? (Which is the best?). To inquire about features: ¿Qué características tiene? (What features does it have?).
Price discussions use: ¿Cuánto cuesta? (How much does it cost?) and ¿Tiene garantía? (Does it have a warranty?). The word for warranty is garantía, an important term when making tech purchases. You might ask: ¿Por cuánto tiempo es la garantía? (How long is the warranty?).
Troubleshooting Conversations
When calling technical support, begin with: Tengo un problema técnico (I have a technical problem). Describe issues clearly: Mi computadora no enciende (My computer won’t turn on) or No puedo conectarme a Internet (I can’t connect to the internet).
Follow-up questions might include: ¿Qué debo hacer? (What should I do?) or ¿Cómo lo soluciono? (How do I fix it?). Understanding instructions requires knowing command forms: Reinicie el sistema (Restart the system) or Verifique la conexión (Check the connection).
Conclusion
Mastering technology vocabulary in Spanish opens doors to more meaningful interactions in our digital world. From basic hardware terms to complex software discussions, this vocabulary enables you to navigate Spanish-speaking tech environments confidently. Remember that language evolves constantly, especially in technology, so stay curious and continue learning new terms as they emerge. Practice these words and phrases regularly, and you’ll find yourself naturally incorporating them into conversations.
