Every day this world is getting more and more technological, isn’t it?
That is why I believe it is a good idea to compile some of the essential technological vocabulary in Spanish.
You never know when your cell phone breaks down, your internet connection crashes, or your computer stops working, right? It might be while you’re on vacation in México on a business trip to Perú, or – if you live in one of the Spanish speaking countries – at any given moment.
Those who follow this blog will hopefully remember that quite recently I have posted an article about computer parts in Spanish. What I am offering you today is a continuation and an extension to that topic.
So whether you are just studying the language, preparing for a trip, working in a Spanish speaking company, or hoping to build your business Spanish vocabulary, you’ll surely find today’s post useful.
16 Must-Know Spanish Technology Terms
Let’s start with the most essential words that will help you translate the key technological terms:
- 🇪🇸 un computador / una computadora / un ordenador – 🇬🇧 a computer
- 🇪🇸 un portátil – 🇬🇧 a notebook / a laptop
- 🇪🇸 un (teléfono) celular / móvil – 🇬🇧 a cell phone / a mobile phone
- 🇪🇸 un tablet / una tableta – 🇬🇧 a tablet
- 🇪🇸 el internet – 🇬🇧 the Internet
- 🇪🇸 un correo electrónico – 🇬🇧 an email
- 🇪🇸 un mensaje de texto / de voz – 🇬🇧 a text / voice message
- 🇪🇸 una página / un sitio web – 🇬🇧 a website
- 🇪🇸 un enlace – 🇬🇧 a link
- 🇪🇸 la red social – 🇬🇧 social network
- 🇪🇸 el wifi – 🇬🇧 wifi
- 🇪🇸 la red – 🇬🇧 network
- 🇪🇸 un navegador – 🇬🇧 web browser
- 🇪🇸 el usuario – 🇬🇧 the user
- 🇪🇸 la contraseña / la clave – 🇬🇧 the password
- 🇪🇸 navegar – 🇬🇧 to surf / browse
To start building meaningful sentences with this vocabulary, all you need is a few question words in Spanish and some basic verbs. Look:
🇪🇸 ¿Cuál es tu correo electrónico?
🇬🇧 What is your email?
🇪🇸 ¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi?
🇬🇧 What’s the wifi password?
🇪🇸 ¿Cuánta memoria RAM tiene tu portátil?
🇬🇧 How much RAM does your notebook have?
🇪🇸 El internet está muy lento.
🇬🇧 The internet is very slow.
🇪🇸 Te dejé un mensaje de voz en tu celular.
🇬🇧 I left a voice message on your cell phone.
🇪🇸 ¿Me puedes mandar el enlace, por favor?
🇬🇧 Can you send me the link, please?
🇪🇸 Nuestra página web es compatible con dispositivos móviles.
🇬🇧 Our website is compatible with mobile devices.
🇪🇸 ¿Tienes cuenta en alguna red social?
🇬🇧 Do you have an account on any social network?
20 Email and Internet Technology Words in Spanish
Almost everyone uses email and browses the internet these days, don’t we? You don’t have to be a computer geek to know the most typical words and phrases that Spanish speakers would use in that context:
- 🇪🇸 una cuenta – 🇬🇧 an account
- 🇪🇸 una dirección de correo electrónico – 🇬🇧 an email address
- 🇪🇸 arroba – 🇬🇧 @
- 🇪🇸 punto – 🇬🇧 dot
- 🇪🇸 guion – 🇬🇧 dash / hyphen
- 🇪🇸 guion bajo – 🇬🇧 underscore, low dash
- 🇪🇸 un vínculo / un enlace / un link – 🇬🇧 a link
- 🇪🇸 casilla – 🇬🇧 box
- 🇪🇸 basurero – 🇬🇧 trash bin
- 🇪🇸 poner en copia / copia oculta – 🇬🇧 to cc / bcc someone
- 🇪🇸 enviar – 🇬🇧 to send
- 🇪🇸 reenviar – 🇬🇧 to forward
- 🇪🇸 borrar / eliminar – 🇬🇧 to delete
- 🇪🇸 adjuntar un archivo – 🇬🇧 to attach a file
- 🇪🇸 insertar – 🇬🇧 to insert
- 🇪🇸 googlear – 🇬🇧 to google
- 🇪🇸 subir – 🇬🇧 to upload
- 🇪🇸 bajar / descargar – 🇬🇧 to download
- 🇪🇸 un servidor – 🇬🇧 a server
Have a look at the mini dialogues below to see how to use those words conversationally:
🇪🇸
A: ¿Me puedes deletrear tu correo electrónico, por favor?
B: Claro, es J-U-A-N-guion bajo-P-E-R-E-Z -arroba-Gmail-punto-com
🇬🇧
A: Can you spell your email, please?
B: Sure, it is J-U-A-N-underscore-P-E-R-E-Z -at-Gmail-dot-com
🇪🇸
A: No se me abre el link que me enviaste.
B: Intenta usar otro navegador.
🇬🇧
A: The link you’ve sent me won’t open.
B: Try using a different browser.
🇪🇸
A: No me ha llegado tu correo.
B: ¿En serio? ¿Y has revisado la casilla de spam?
🇬🇧
A: I haven’t gotten your email message.
B: Really? And have you checked the spam box?
🇪🇸
A: Te envío factura en el documento adjunto ¿vale?
B: ¡Perfecto! ¿Qué tipo de archivo es?
A: Es un pdf (pe-de-efe).
🇬🇧
A: I am sending the invoice as an attachment, OK?
B: Great! What kind of file is it?
A: It’s a pdf.
🇪🇸
A: No encuentro la cotización que me enviaste ayer. Debo haber borrado el correo sin querer.
B: Revisa el basurero entonces. Debe estar allí todavía.
🇬🇧
A: I can’t find the quote you sent me yesterday. I must have deleted the message by mistake.
B: Check the trash bin. It must still be there.
🇪🇸
A: Le acabo de escribir al cliente sobre el pago vencido. Te puse en copia, por si acaso.
B: Gracias, vamos a ver que contesta.
🇬🇧
A: I’ve just written to the client about the overdue payment. I cc’d you, just in case.
B: Thanks, let’s see what he answers.
🇪🇸
A: Necesito saber cómo está el tiempo en México. Viajo allí mañana.
B: ¡Googlealo y listo!
🇬🇧
A: I need to know what the weather is like in México. I’m traveling there tomorrow.
B: Just google it!
🇪🇸
A: Esta carpeta tiene demasiados archivos. No te los puedo enviar todos por email, pesan mucho.
B: ¿Y porqué no subes toda la carpeta en la nube y me envías el enlace de descarga?
🇬🇧
A: There are too many files in this folder. I can’t send them all by email; they are too heavy.
B: Why don’t you upload the entire folder to the cloud and send me the download link?
🇪🇸 Test Your Spanish Knowledge 🇪🇸
20 S.O.S Technology Words in Spanish
Last but not least, here’s a list of the most useful Spanish verbs and phrases to deal with any sort of technological problems
- 🇪🇸 rebotar – 🇬🇧 to bounce back
- 🇪🇸 caerse – 🇬🇧 to go down / to crash
- 🇪🇸 hackear – 🇬🇧 to hack
- 🇪🇸 un virus – 🇬🇧 a virus
- 🇪🇸 encender / prender – 🇬🇧 to turn on
- 🇪🇸 enchufar – 🇬🇧 to plug in
- 🇪🇸 revisar – 🇬🇧 to check
- 🇪🇸 reparar / arreglar – 🇬🇧 to fix
- 🇪🇸 cambiar – 🇬🇧 to change
- 🇪🇸 desbloquear – 🇬🇧 to unblock
- 🇪🇸 correr un antivirus – 🇬🇧 to run an antivirus scan
- 🇪🇸 verificar la configuración del cortafuegos – 🇬🇧 check the firewall settings
- 🇪🇸 echarse a perder – 🇬🇧 to break down
- 🇪🇸 funcionar – 🇬🇧 to work
- 🇪🇸 estar fuera de servicio – 🇬🇧 to be out of order
- 🇪🇸 instalar / reinstalar/ desinstalar – 🇬🇧 to install / reinstall / uninstall
- 🇪🇸 servicio técnico – 🇬🇧 technical support / help desk
- 🇪🇸 un taller de reparación de computadores – 🇬🇧 a computer repair shop
- 🇪🇸 una revisión técnica – 🇬🇧 a technical review
Remember that all the verbs in Spanish conjugate. I know it is hard to memorize all the forms, but there are certain tricks to learn verbs more effectively.
Pay attention to how the verbs from the list are conjugated in the examples below:
🇪🇸 El mensaje que te envié ha rebotado. ¿Me puedes dar un correo alternativo?
🇬🇧 The message I sent you has bounced back. Can you give me another email address?🇬🇧
🇪🇸 Mi computadora no enciende. ¿Podrías ayudarme, por favor?
🇬🇧 My computer won’t turn on. Could you help me, please?
🇪🇸 El internet se cae a cada rato. No se puede trabajar así.
🇬🇧 The internet is crashing all the time. One can’t work like this.
🇪🇸 Nuestra página web está caída. Hay que revisar los servidores.
🇬🇧 Our website is down. We need to check the servers.
🇪🇸 La única solución es reinstalar el sistema operativo.
🇬🇧 The only solution is to reinstall the operating system.
🇪🇸 No logro instalar Windows. Llamaré al servicio técnico para pedir ayuda.
🇬🇧 I don’t seem to be able to install Windows. I’ll call their technical support to ask for help.
🇪🇸 Te recomiendo que lleves tu celular al taller de reparación. Creo que tiene un virus.
🇬🇧 I suggest you take your cell phone to a repair shop. I think it has a virus.
🇪🇸 La impresora está fuera de servicio. Se echó a perder ayer y en la tarde vienen a reparala.
🇬🇧 The printer is out of order. It broke down yesterday and will get serviced in the afternoon.
