esencial
eh-sen-SYAL
📝 In Action
El agua potable es esencial para la vida humana.
A1Drinking water is essential for human life.
La comunicación es una parte esencial de cualquier relación.
A2Communication is an essential part of any relationship.
Este documento contiene la información esencial que necesitamos.
B1This document contains the essential information we need.
💡 Grammar Points
Adjective Placement
Like most descriptive adjectives, 'esencial' usually goes after the noun it describes, as in 'una parte esencial'.
One Form for All
Since 'esencial' ends in '-l', it is one of the adjectives that does not change form for masculine or feminine nouns. Use 'esencial' for both genders!
❌ Common Pitfalls
Creating a Feminine Form
Mistake: "La tarea es esenciala."
Correction: La tarea es esencial. (The form 'esencial' works for both 'el' and 'la' nouns.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Expressing Necessity
You can use the adverb form 'esencialmente' to mean 'essentially' or 'fundamentally' when summarizing a point.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: esencial
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'esencial'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'esencial' ever change to 'esenciala'?
No. Because 'esencial' ends in the letter 'l', it is one of the adjectives that stays the same whether the noun it describes is masculine (el) or feminine (la). You only need to add an 'es' to make it plural (esenciales).
Is 'esencial' stronger than 'importante'?
Yes, generally. 'Importante' means important, but 'esencial' implies necessity—without it, something cannot exist or function properly. It's the core component.