Inklingo
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casos

/KAH-sohs/

situations

A colorful illustration segmented into three distinct panels, showing three different everyday situations: a person fishing by a pond, a child playing fetch with a dog, and a person reading a book indoors.

The word "casos" often translates to "situations" or circumstances.

casos(Noun)

mA1

situations

?

circumstances

,

instances

?

occurrences

Also:

matters

?

subjects of discussion

📝 In Action

En la mayoría de los casos, el tren llega puntual.

A2

In most cases (situations), the train arrives on time.

Hay pocos casos en que esto sea verdad.

B1

There are few instances where this is true.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • situaciones (situations)
  • circunstancias (circumstances)

Common Collocations

  • en todo caso – in any case / anyway
  • por si acaso – just in case
  • hacer caso (a alguien) – to pay attention (to someone)

💡 Grammar Points

Masculine Plural

Since the singular word 'caso' is masculine (el caso), the plural 'casos' is also masculine. Use masculine articles and adjectives with it.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing 'Casos' and 'Cosas'

Mistake: "Using 'cosas' (things/stuff) when you mean 'casos' (situations/instances)."

Correction: 'Casos' refers to abstract situations or events; 'cosas' refers to objects or tangible items. They are not interchangeable.

⭐ Usage Tips

Use 'Por si acaso'

This phrase is incredibly useful and natural sounding! It means 'just in case' and can be used at the beginning or end of a sentence.

A simple illustration of a large, wooden judge's gavel resting next to a thick, closed red law book on a polished wooden desk.

In formal contexts, like legal or medical settings, "casos" refers to 'cases' or diagnoses.

casos(Noun)

mB2

cases

?

legal matters or medical diagnoses

Also:

examples

?

illustrations or teaching models

,

subjects

?

people being studied (e.g., clinical trials)

📝 In Action

Los abogados están manejando varios casos de fraude.

B2

The lawyers are handling several cases of fraud.

El hospital reportó cinco nuevos casos de la enfermedad.

B2

The hospital reported five new cases of the illness.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • expedientes (files/records)
  • diagnósticos (diagnoses)

Common Collocations

  • casos clínicos – clinical cases
  • estudio de casos – case study

💡 Grammar Points

Formal Context

When used formally, 'casos' implies a serious investigation or formal record, especially when discussing law, medicine, or science.

⭐ Usage Tips

Differentiating Formal Use

If you are reporting a number of occurrences (e.g., '10 cases of theft'), 'casos' is the correct formal term, not 'situaciones'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: casos

Question 1 of 2

Which phrase correctly uses 'casos' to mean 'just in case'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

caso(case, instance) - noun
casualmente(casually, by chance) - adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre 'caso' y 'cosa'?

'Caso' usually means a situation, an event, a legal matter, or an instance. 'Cosa' means a physical object or 'stuff' in general. For example, 'El caso es complicado' (The situation is complicated), but 'Dame esa cosa' (Give me that thing).

Why is 'hacer caso' confusing?

Literally, it means 'to make a case,' but its actual meaning is 'to pay attention to' or 'to heed.' If someone says 'No me haces caso,' they mean 'You aren't listening to me!'