Over 500 million people worldwide speak Spanish, and the Hispanic population in the United States has increased by 60% in the last decade. This statistic is powerful enough to make you realize the importance of learning business Spanish words and maximize your chances of expanding your work globally.

Several Spanish-speaking countries, such as Argentina, Chile, and Peru, are major players in the global economy, and Spanish is also one of the United Nation’s official working languages. Spanish is an important global business language, and if you want to be a global player, you must understand Spanish business vocabulary.

Importance of business Spanish

Bilinguals earn $7,000 more than monolinguals in the United States. With only 10% of Americans speaking a second language, it’s time to invest in your business in Spanish. It may not be the most exciting vocabulary to learn, but it is the most practical for professional advancement in the global market.

If you are starting from scratch, we recommend you find a Spanish teacher online. A tutor will not only help you with the Spanish vocabulary but will also make you understand the contextual use of every word. We recommend you learn Spanish online with italki. You can book your lesson plan online in fact, you can also avail of a free trial before enrollment.

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Whether you will be at home or abroad, knowing business Spanish will help you become fluent in Spanish in a variety of ways. You will improve your vocabulary, find work, write perfectly professional emails, and broaden your professional horizons to include the Spanish-speaking world.

Key business Spanish words

Let’s take a look at 10 keywords used in business in Spanish right now. With this key vocabulary under your belt, you will be speaking business Spanish like a pro in no time. We will start with the fundamentals.

  1. jefe — boss
  2. director — director
  3. empresa — company
  4. reunión — meeting
  5. negocios — business deals
  6. contrato laboral — work contract
  7. mercado — market
  8. personal — company staff
  9. acuerdo — a work agreement
  10. oficina — office

For numbers 1 and 2, don’t forget to substitute jefa and directora for a female boss or company director, as women are quite common as company bosses and directors in Spanish companies. For number 3, the variant compañía can be used, for example una compañía aérea (airline) or una compañía marítima (shipping/ferry company).

Finally, while oficina is acceptable and much easier to remember for number 10, despacho will be used in Spain and some parts of Latin America. To remember this word, consider the English word “dispatcher” and associate it with the concept of an office space.

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Work contract vocabulary in Spanish

It is not uncommon in Spanish-speaking countries for job listings to lack information and for “contract details” to be discussed during the interview. These 5 key phrases will ensure that you understand the type of business or work contract you’re entering into with an employer or business.

  1. estar contratado/a — to have a contract
  2. jornada completa o parcial — full-time or part-time schedule
  3. contrato fijo/indefinido — a permanent work contract
  4. contrato temporal — a temporary or short-term work contract
  5. prácticas — internship

Now let’s take our Spanish business words to the next level. Here are some phrases to remember. Given the current economic climate, you’ll hear the second sentence quite frequently.

– se incorpora en la empresa con un contrato temporal de 6 meses (you are hired into the company on an initial 6-month short-term work contract)

– los contratos fijos están desapareciendo (permanent work contracts are becoming less common)

– hacer prácticas con el fin de obtener un contrato indefinido (internship with the possibility of future full-time employment)

Professionalism and business success will require you to have keywords tailored to your industry, whether you are looking for work or dealing with clients. Trade, language instruction, and tourism are the three main industries in which anglophone immigrants and workers find work in the Spanish-speaking world.

Business Spanish words for Trade Careers

Comercio (Trade)

1. comercialización — marketing

2. beneficio — profit

3. bolsa — the stock-exchange

4. compra — purchase

5. dinero — money

6. exportador/importador — exporter/importer

7. fabricante — manufacturer

8. demanda — demand

9. ahorros — savings

10. acción — share

Let’s have a look at few examples:

– la comercialización de nuestro producto es de alta prioridad (marketing our product is of top priority)

– la empresa ha tenido un año fiscal de bajo beneficio (the company has had little profits this fiscal year)

– la demanda está vinculada a la oferta (demand is linked to supply)

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Spanish vocabulary for teaching career

Enseñanza de Idiomas (Language Instruction)

  1. academia de idiomas — language school
  2. profesor/a — a teacher (at any level)
  3. alumno — student
  4. aula — classroom
  5. curso — school year
  6. asignatura — subject
  7. lección — lesson
  8. ministerio de educación — ministry of education
  9. tutoría — tutoring
  10. clases particulares — private language classes

For number 1, there’s also escuela de idioma, which is typically a school that takes state funding for language instruction, and academia, which refers to a private enterprise. A teacher can be called a maestro or, alternatively, a catedrático at the university level. clases particulares can also be referred to as clases privadas or simply clases extra.

Let’s have a look at few examples:

– la academia busca profesores nativos de inglés para dar clases de idioma (the language school is hiring native English speakers to give language classes)

– el ministerio de educación está reclutando (the Ministry of Education is recruiting)

– se puede ganar bastante dando clases particulares (you can make quite a bit of money giving private language classes).

Spanish vocabulary for Tourism careers

Turismo (Tourism)

  1. cadena de hoteles — hotel chain
  2. viaje de ida y vuelta — round-trip flight
  3. lista de espera — waiting list
  4. recepción — reception
  5. temporada baja/alta — low/high-season
  6. folleto — informative brochure/leaflet
  7. tarjeta comercial/de negocios — business card
  8. agente de viajes — travel agent
  9. agencia/empresa de viajes — travel agency
  10. libro/hoja de reclamaciones — customer complaint book

Let’s have a look at few examples:

– la cadena de hoteles ofrece trabajo a gente con formación de hostelería (the hotel chain is hiring people with training in hospitality)

– la jefa me dio su contacto y tarjeta comercial (the boss left me her contact information and business card)

– la empresa de viajes busca contratar a agentes de viajes bilingües (the travel agency is looking to hire bilingual travel agents).

Now you have some helpful business words in Spanish to expand your chances of doing business-related tasks without any fear. The lists above are guides to key vocabulary in general business and the three major industries in which English speakers work, but knowing the words is only the beginning. You need to know to practice these words.

Focus on your concerned industry

Examine the website content of companies in your industry. You can begin by reading the pages in English first, then in Spanish, or you can put them side by side and read them both at the same time. Fortunately for English speakers, the majority of Spanish-speaking businesses have their company information translated into English.

Prepare yourself

Perform live mock interviews with Spanish-speaking friends to fill in any gaps in fluency and vocabulary. To avoid sounding like a robot, jot down key phrases that correspond to how you express yourself as you progress.

If you don’t have any local Spanish-speaking friends, it’s time to find a conversation partner, which is one of the most practical and enjoyable ways to learn a language in real life.

 Get yourself involved

Sign up for an online journal and read work reports and research related to your industry. This is especially useful if you work in science, energy, or technology.

There are plenty of ways through which you can learn and practice these vocabulary words. In fact, be active and use the mirror technique to practice the pronunciation of different Spanish words. For example, you can stand in front of the mirror and ask yourself ‘how are you’ in Spanish. This activity is super helpful to boost your confidence and gives you the motivation to expand your Spanish vocabulary even more!

Frequently asked questions

Q. What is the fastest way to memorize Spanish vocabulary?

A. Read for 15 minutes each day in Spanish, watch a short YouTube video in Spanish daily, listen to some Spanish music, and write in a notebook daily for 15 minutes. It will help you memorize Spanish vocabulary.

Q. How can I improve my business vocabulary?

A. To improve your business vocabulary you can keep a mini dictionary with you. It will help you look at the meaning quickly.

Q. What is the best method for memorizing?

A. Develop a reading habit. Reading not only makes your mind sharp but also helps you in expanding vocabulary.

Conclusion

Being bilingual is a plus to explore massive business opportunities. If you are planning to visit any Spanish-speaking country for work or any other purpose, we recommend you understand Spanish food culture, Basic etiquette, and general formal and informal greetings. Knowing these will help you build healthy relationships and friendships.

To achieve this, you can enroll yourself in italki. Book your lessons by visiting the website and start learning with amazing one-on-one learning sessions.

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