fuerte
“fuerte” means “strong” in Spanish. It has 6 different meanings depending on context:
strong
Also: powerful
📝 In Action
Mi hermano es muy fuerte, levanta pesas todos los días.
A1My brother is very strong, he lifts weights every day.
Necesitamos una cuerda más fuerte para escalar.
A2We need a stronger rope to climb.
strong, loud, heavy
Also: intense, bright
📝 In Action
Este queso tiene un sabor muy fuerte.
A2This cheese has a very strong flavor.
La música está demasiado fuerte, no puedo oírte.
A2The music is too loud, I can't hear you.
Tengo un dolor de cabeza muy fuerte.
B1I have a very strong headache.
strong
Also: brave, resilient, convincing
📝 In Action
Tienes que ser fuerte para superar esta situación.
B1You have to be strong to get through this situation.
Ella tiene un carácter muy fuerte.
B1She has a very strong character.
Es una razón muy fuerte para cambiar de opinión.
B2It's a very strong reason to change one's mind.
loudly, hard
Also: tightly
📝 In Action
¡Habla más fuerte, que no te oigo!
A2Speak louder, I can't hear you!
El niño abrazó fuerte a su mamá.
B1The child hugged his mom tightly.
Llovió muy fuerte toda la noche.
B1It rained very hard all night.
strong suit
Also: strength
📝 In Action
La organización no es mi fuerte, soy más creativo.
B2Organization isn't my strong suit, I'm more creative.
El fuerte de nuestro restaurante es la comida tradicional.
B2The strength of our restaurant is the traditional food.
fort
Also: fortress
📝 In Action
El viejo fuerte protegía la entrada a la bahía.
B2The old fort protected the entrance to the bay.
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: fuerte
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'fuerte' to mean 'loud'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'fortis', which meant 'strong, powerful, brave'. You can see this root in many English words that came from Latin through French.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'ser fuerte' and 'estar fuerte'?
Great question! Use 'ser fuerte' to talk about someone's character or permanent quality (e.g., 'Ella es fuerte' means 'She is a strong person'). Use 'estar fuerte' to talk about a physical state, like being fit or muscular (e.g., '¡Has ido al gimnasio! ¡Estás muy fuerte!' means 'You've been to the gym! You're looking really strong!').
Why do people say 'habla fuerte' instead of 'habla fuertemente'?
In everyday Spanish, it's very common to use some adjectives like adverbs without adding the '-mente' ending. 'Fuerte' is one of them. While 'fuertemente' is grammatically correct, it sounds a bit more formal or literary. For daily conversation, 'habla fuerte' (speak loudly) or 'golpea fuerte' (hit hard) is perfectly normal and sounds more natural.
Does 'fuerte' ever change to 'fuerta' for feminine nouns?
No, it doesn't. 'Fuerte' is one of those helpful adjectives that stays the same for both masculine and feminine things. You say 'un coche fuerte' (a strong car) and 'una mesa fuerte' (a strong table). It only changes for the plural by adding an 's': 'coches fuertes', 'mesas fuertes'.