Spanish Work Vocabulary: Work Words in Spanish

Spanish Work Vocabulary

Start with the most common words, then expand your knowledge with intermediate and advanced vocabulary.

Beginner (A1)

employee el empleado
team el equipo
boss el jefe
job el trabajo
office la oficina
task la tarea

Elementary (A2)

colleague el colega
coworker el compañero de trabajo
duty el deber
break el descanso
employment el empleo
schedule el horario
workplace el lugar de trabajo
business el negocio
project el proyecto
position el puesto
salary el salario
uniform el uniforme
company la empresa
interview la entrevista
profession la profesión
meeting la reunión
vacation las vacaciones

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

promotion el ascenso
bonus el bono
paycheck el cheque de pago
contract el contrato
resume el currículum
department el departamento
unemployment el desempleo
employer el empleador
workspace el espacio de trabajo
freelancer el freelance
goal el objetivo
role el rol
applicant el solicitante
wage el sueldo
commute el trayecto
shift el turno
assignment la asignación
training la capacitación
workload la carga de trabajo
career la carrera
deadline la fecha límite
tool la herramienta
industry la industria
occupation la ocupación
responsibility la responsabilidad
overtime las horas extras
benefits los beneficios
performance el desempeño
layoff el despido
entrepreneur el emprendedor
sector el sector
union el sindicato
hiring la contratación
division la división
evaluation la evaluación
firm la firma
strike la huelga
retirement la jubilación
sick leave la licencia por enfermedad
pension la pensión
productivity la productividad
resignation la renuncia
feedback la retroalimentación

Practice What You've Learned

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Example Sentences

In proper context. With highlighted verbs and adjectives.

Beginner & Elementary (A1-A2)

Fundamental verbs and adjectives used in everyday workplace situations.

Mi hermano trabaja en una oficina grande. My brother works in a big office.
Laura busca un empleo nuevo esta semana. Laura is looking for a new job this week.
El empleado empieza su turno temprano. The employee starts his shift early.
El jefe firma el contrato hoy. The boss signs the contract today.
Ella organiza una reunión con el equipo. She organizes a meeting with the team.
El jefe está muy ocupado esta mañana. The boss is very busy this morning.
El empleado llega cansado a su casa. The employee arrives home tired.
Los compañeros de trabajo son muy puntuales. The coworkers are very punctual.
Ella tiene una oficina nueva en la empresa. She has a new office in the company.
El equipo toma un descanso corto a mediodía. The team takes a short break at noon.

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

More complex workplace interactions, professional management, and career development.

El gerente renunció a su puesto ayer. The manager resigned from his position yesterday.
La empresa contrató a un nuevo especialista. The company hired a new specialist.
La dirección aumentó el salario de los empleados. Management increased the employees' salary.
Debemos negociar las condiciones del contrato. We must negotiate the conditions of the contract.
El supervisor evalúa el desempeño de cada trabajador. The supervisor evaluates the performance of each worker.
El equipo tuvo un trimestre muy productivo. The team had a very productive quarter.
El nuevo proyecto tiene una fecha límite exigente. The new project has a demanding deadline.
El solicitante firmó un contrato temporal. The applicant signed a temporary contract.
Un empleado motivado realiza sus tareas con eficiencia. A motivated employee carries out their tasks efficiently.
La empresa exige una alta productividad a sus trabajadores. The company demands high productivity from its workers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about Spanish work and workplace vocabulary

There are several polite and common ways to inquire about someone's career or job in Spanish depending on the region and formality.

¿A qué te dedicas? (What do you do for a living? - very natural and common)
¿En qué trabajas? (What is your job / Where do you work?)
¿Cuál es tu profesión? (What is your profession? - more formal)
¿Qué haces? (What do you do? - informal context)

While both words refer to money earned from work and are often used interchangeably, there are subtle differences in professional contexts.

El sueldo: Often refers to a fixed monthly or annual pay paid regularly to permanent staff.
El salario: More commonly associated with wages calculated hourly, daily, or based on productivity, though widely used as a general term for pay.
In everyday speech, native speakers frequently use both to mean salary or earnings.

To talk about hiring, working, and leaving jobs, you will use specific key verbs in Spanish.

Trabajar: To work.
Contratar: To hire.
Renunciar: To resign or quit.
Despedir: To fire or lay off.
Solicitar: To apply (for a position or leave).

The term used for a resume varies across different Spanish-speaking regions.

El currículum (or el currículum vítae / el CV): Standard in Spain and widely understood across Latin America.
La hoja de vida: The predominant term used in Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Peru.
In international corporate settings, using el CV (pronounced ce-ve) is universally recognized.

Spanish has specific vocabulary depending on the reason you are taking time off work.

Las vacaciones: Paid vacation time or holidays.
El descanso: A short daily break during work hours.
La licencia por enfermedad: Sick leave (also called la baja médica in Spain).
El permiso: Approved temporary time off or leave for personal reasons.

Spanish Work Vocabulary