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energía

en-er-HEE-ah/eneɾˈxia/

“energía” means “energy” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

energy, power

Also: electricity
NounfA2
A brightly illustrated scene showing a solar panel on a hill generating electricity that powers a small house.

📝 In Action

Necesitamos encontrar fuentes de energía más limpias.

A2

We need to find cleaner energy sources.

El costo de la energía eléctrica ha subido mucho.

B1

The cost of electrical energy (power) has gone up a lot.

La tormenta cortó la energía en toda la ciudad.

B1

The storm cut the power in the whole city.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • energía renovable – renewable energy
  • energía solar/eólica – solar/wind energy
  • consumo de energía – energy consumption
  • ahorrar energía – to save energy

energy

Also: vigor, drive, vibe
NounfB1
A cartoon-style illustration of a child jumping excitedly, radiating bright yellow and orange light to represent high personal energy and vitality.

📝 In Action

Después de tomar café, tengo más energía para trabajar.

A2

After having coffee, I have more energy to work.

Los niños parecen tener una energía infinita.

B1

Children seem to have infinite energy.

Este lugar tiene una energía muy tranquila y positiva.

B2

This place has a very calm and positive energy (vibe).

No malgastes tu energía preocupándote por cosas que no puedes cambiar.

B2

Don't waste your energy worrying about things you can't change.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • vitalidad (vitality)
  • vigor (vigor)
  • ánimo (spirit, mood)
  • vibra (vibe (informal))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • tener mucha/poca energía – to have a lot of/little energy
  • gastar energía – to use up/spend energy
  • recargar energías – to recharge one's energy/batteries
  • lleno de energía – full of energy

Idioms & Expressions

  • recargar las energías – To rest and recover your strength and enthusiasm.

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: energía

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'energía' to talk about a person's vitality or mood?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
enérgico/a(energetic) — Adjective
energético/a(energy-related (e.g., a drink)) — Adjective
energizar(to energize) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
díaalegríapolicíafría
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'energia', which itself came from the Ancient Greek 'enérgeia' (ἐνέργεια), meaning 'activity' or 'operation'. It's built from 'en' (in) and 'ergon' (work), so its original meaning was literally 'at work'.

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: energyFrench: énergieItalian: energia

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'energía' and 'potencia'?

Think of it like this: 'Energía' is the total amount of power you have, like the total fuel in a car's tank. 'Potencia' is how fast you can use that power, like the car's horsepower. A dam has a lot of 'energía' stored in its water, but the 'potencia' of its turbines determines how much electricity it can generate at any one moment.