Inklingo
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artificial

/ar-tee-fee-SYAL/

artificial

A colorful plastic flower in a small clay pot.

A man-made plastic flower represents something artificial.

artificial(adjective)

m or fA2

artificial

?

man-made or synthetic

Also:

man-made

?

created by humans

,

synthetic

?

made from chemicals or materials

📝 In Action

Prefiero la luz natural a la luz artificial.

A2

I prefer natural light over artificial light.

El campo tiene césped artificial.

A2

The field has artificial grass.

Estamos estudiando la inteligencia artificial.

B1

We are studying artificial intelligence.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sintético (synthetic)
  • postizo (fake/false)

Antonyms

  • natural (natural)
  • biológico (biological)

Common Collocations

  • inteligencia artificial – artificial intelligence
  • luz artificial – artificial light
  • flores artificiales – artificial flowers

💡 Grammar Points

One word for both genders

This word doesn't change its ending for masculine or feminine things. You can say 'el lago artificial' or 'la flor artificial'—the ending stays the same!

❌ Common Pitfalls

Spelling check

Mistake: "artifisial"

Correction: artificial

⭐ Usage Tips

Natural placement

Just like most adjectives in Spanish, place 'artificial' after the noun you are describing (e.g., 'luz artificial').

A wooden puppet wearing a mask with a painted-on smile.

A mask can represent fake or artificial behavior.

artificial(adjective)

m or fB2

fake

?

referring to behavior

Also:

forced

?

not spontaneous or natural

,

insincere

?

lacking genuine feeling

📝 In Action

Ella me dio una sonrisa un poco artificial.

B2

She gave me a somewhat fake smile.

Su entusiasmo parecía muy artificial.

B2

His enthusiasm seemed very forced.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • fingido (feigned/pretended)
  • forzado (forced)

Antonyms

  • espontáneo (spontaneous)
  • sincero (sincere)

⭐ Usage Tips

Describing People

Use this word when a social interaction feels 'plastic' or like someone is acting a part.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: artificial

Question 1 of 2

Which of these would you describe as 'césped artificial'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

artificio(artifice/device) - noun
artificialmente(artificially) - adverb
artificialidad(artificiality) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'artificial' always a negative word?

Not at all! While it can mean 'fake' in a social sense, it is usually just a neutral way to describe technology or man-made items like 'luz artificial' or 'inteligencia artificial'.

How do I pronounce the 'c' in 'artificial'?

In Spain, it sounds like a 'th' (as in 'thin'). In Latin America, it sounds like an 's' (as in 'sun'). Both are correct!