documental
“documental” means “documentary” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
documentary
📝 In Action
Vi un documental muy interesante sobre la historia de México.
A2I saw a very interesting documentary about the history of Mexico.
Prefiero ver documentales que películas de ficción.
B1I prefer watching documentaries over fiction movies.
documentary
Also: factual
📝 In Action
El abogado presentó una prueba documental.
B2The lawyer presented documentary evidence.
Hicimos una investigación documental antes de escribir el libro.
C1We did some documentary research before writing the book.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: documental
Question 1 of 1
Which of these is 'un documental'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'documentum', which originally meant a lesson or an example. Over time, it grew to mean a proof or a written record.
First recorded: 19th century (in its modern cinematic sense)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'documental' change to 'documentala' for feminine things?
No! Adjectives ending in -l are 'neutral' in Spanish, so 'la prueba documental' and 'el registro documental' both use the same ending.
Is 'documental' the same as a 'document'?
Not quite. A 'document' (the paper) is 'el documento'. 'Documental' is either the movie or the word used to describe things related to documents.