aleatorio
“aleatorio” means “random” in Spanish (happening without a specific pattern or plan).
random
Also: shuffle, stochastic
📝 In Action
Me gusta escuchar mi música en modo aleatorio.
A2I like to listen to my music in shuffle mode.
El profesor eligió un estudiante de forma aleatoria.
B1The teacher chose a student in a random way.
Los resultados del experimento parecen ser aleatorios.
B2The results of the experiment seem to be random.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: aleatorio
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'random selection' in Spanish?
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👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'aleatorius,' which describes things related to a gambler. It comes from 'alea,' meaning dice.
First recorded: 18th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'aleatorio' and 'al azar'?
'Aleatorio' is an adjective that describes something, while 'al azar' is a phrase that explains how an action was done. For example, 'un número aleatorio' (a random number) vs. 'elegir al azar' (to choose at random).
Is 'aleatorio' used in everyday conversation?
It is less common in casual speech than 'al azar.' However, you will see it every day in technology (like Spotify or YouTube) and in news or science contexts.
Does it mean the same thing as 'random' in English slang?
Not exactly. In English, we say 'That's so random!' to mean something is weird or unexpected. In Spanish, 'aleatorio' is strictly for things that happen by mathematical chance. For the slang meaning, Spaniards might use 'friki' or 'raro'.