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frecuencia

freh-KWEN-syah (Note: In Spain, 'cia' sounds like 'thya'; in Latin America, it sounds like 'sya'.)/fɾeˈkwenθja/

“frecuencia” means “frequency” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

frequency

Also: oftenness
NounfA2
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration showing a sequence of identical small red balls falling very close together onto a patch of green grass, symbolizing a high rate of occurrence.

📝 In Action

Debes limpiar tu escritorio con mayor frecuencia.

A2

You should clean your desk more frequently.

¿Con qué frecuencia visitas a tus abuelos?

A2

How often do you visit your grandparents?

La frecuencia de los autobuses es muy baja los domingos.

B1

The bus frequency (how often they run) is very low on Sundays.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • asiduidad (regularity)
  • periodicidad (periodicity)

Antonyms

  • rareza (rarity)
  • irregularidad (irregularity)

Common Collocations

  • con frecuencia – frequently, often
  • baja frecuencia – low frequency (not often)
  • alta frecuencia – high frequency (often)

frequency

Also: rate
NounfB2
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration featuring a bright blue, wavy line with many tight, short curves moving horizontally across a solid orange background, representing a high-frequency signal.

📝 In Action

Esta emisora de radio transmite en la frecuencia modulada (FM).

B2

This radio station transmits on frequency modulation (FM).

El médico midió la frecuencia cardíaca del paciente.

C1

The doctor measured the patient's heart rate (cardiac frequency).

Las ondas de sonido tienen una frecuencia muy alta.

B2

Sound waves have a very high frequency.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • frecuencia cardíaca – heart rate
  • frecuencia de muestreo – sampling rate (tech)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "frecuencia" in Spanish:

frequency→oftenness→rate→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: frecuencia

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the common phrase meaning 'often'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
frecuente(frequent) — Adjective
frecuentemente(frequently) — Adverb
frecuentar(to frequent (a place)) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'frequentia,' which originally meant 'a large number, a crowding together, or abundance.' This sense of 'many things happening close together' evolved into the modern meaning of 'regularity' or 'rate of occurrence.'

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: frequencyPortuguese: frequência

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a difference between 'con frecuencia' and 'frecuentemente'?

They mean the exact same thing: 'frequently' or 'often.' 'Frecuentemente' is a single adverb, while 'con frecuencia' is a very common phrase (adverbial phrase) used often in everyday conversation. You can use either one.

How do I ask about the frequency of a signal or radio station?

You can ask '¿En qué frecuencia transmite?' (On what frequency does it transmit?) or '¿Cuál es la frecuencia de la señal?' (What is the signal's frequency?).