Professions in Spanish: jobs and occupations in Spanish

Welcome to this beginner's guide on how to talk about jobs and occupations in Spanish. This tutorial is designed to help you learn and understand various professions in Spanish through simple explanations. Whether you're learning Spanish for personal interest, work, or travel, knowing how to discuss professions is essential. Let's dive in!

Understanding Gender Variations in Spanish Professions

Spanish nouns, including professions, often have gender-specific forms. Generally, masculine nouns end in "-o" and feminine nouns end in "-a". However, there are exceptions and modern changes for inclusivity, using "e" or "x" at the end of some words to make them gender-neutral. It's important to be aware of these variations as you learn.

Examples:

• El doctor (male doctor), La doctora (female doctor)
• El ingeniero (male engineer), La ingeniera (female engineer)

Common Professions in Spanish

Below is a list of widely recognized professions in Spanish, along with their English translations. This selection covers a variety of fields, offering you a broad starting point.

1. Médico/Médica - Doctor
2. Enfermero/Enfermera - Nurse
3. Ingeniero/Ingeniera - Engineer
4. Profesor/Profesora - Teacher
5. Estudiante - Student (Note: This profession doesn't change based on gender)
6. Abogado/Abogada - Lawyer
7. Arquitecto/Arquitecta - Architect
8. Cocinero/Cocinera - Cook/Chef
9. Policía - Police Officer (Note: This profession uses the same form for both genders)
10. Vendedor/Vendedora - Salesperson

How to Talk About Professions

When you want to talk about someone's profession in Spanish, you generally use the verb "ser" (to be). Here's a simple structure you can follow:

• Ser + article (optional) + profession

Examples:

• Él es médico. - He is a doctor.
• Ella es ingeniera. - She is an engineer.

Notice that when the profession directly follows the verb "ser" (to be), you typically don't need to use an article like "un" or "una" (a). However, in some contexts, especially when adding adjectives or specifying a particular job, an article might be used.

Practice Exercises

To solidify your understanding, try translating the following sentences into Spanish:

1. She is a teacher.
2. He is a lawyer.
3. They are students.
4. I am a nurse.
5. We are engineers.

Answers:

1. Ella es profesora.
2. Él es abogado.
3. Ellos son estudiantes. / Ellas son estudiantes. (Depending on the gender; use "Elles son estudiantes" for a gender-neutral approach)
4. Yo soy enfermero/enfermera. (Choose based on your gender)
5. Nosotros somos ingenieros. / Nosotras somos ingenieras. (Choose based on the group's gender composition)

Jobs in Spanish vocabulary