A simple illustration showing a stack of colorful paper money and coins resting next to a long, unrolled paper receipt.

gastos

GAS-tos

nounmA1

expenses?financial costs,costs?amounts spent

Also:expenditure?formal financial language,outgoings?British English usage

📝 In Action

Necesito anotar todos mis gastos para hacer un presupuesto.

I need to write down all my expenses to make a budget.

¿Quién cubre los gastos de envío del paquete?

Who covers the shipping costs for the package?

Los gastos fijos (como el alquiler y las cuentas) son la mayor parte de nuestro presupuesto mensual.

Fixed expenses (like rent and bills) are the largest part of our monthly budget.

Word Connections

Synonyms

costos (costs)
desembolsos (disbursements)

Antonyms

ingresos (income)
beneficios (profits)

Common Collocations

gastos fijos – fixed expenses/costs
gastos de viaje – travel expenses
reducir gastos – to reduce expenses

💡 Grammar Points

It's Almost Always Plural

Even when talking about a general category of spending, 'gastos' is usually plural, much like how we say 'expenses' in English, not 'expense'.

Masculine Noun

Since 'gastos' is a masculine plural noun, any words describing it must also be masculine and plural: 'los altos gastos' (the high expenses).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing Singular vs. Plural

Mistake: "Using 'el gasto' when referring to general costs. (Example: 'El gasto de la empresa es alto.')"

Correction: Use the plural 'los gastos' for general financial output. (Correction: 'Los gastos de la empresa son altos.') The singular 'gasto' usually refers to one specific item or action of spending.

⭐ Usage Tips

Using 'de'

When specifying what the expense is for, use 'de': 'gastos de luz' (electricity costs), 'gastos de educación' (education expenses).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: gastos

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'gastos'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

gastar(to spend (verb)) - verb

gasto(expense (singular noun)) - noun

gastador(spendthrift (person who spends a lot)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'gastos' and 'costos'?

'Gastos' refers to the money you actively spend or the 'outgoings' (like rent, utilities, food). 'Costos' usually refers to the price or value of something being bought or produced (the cost of the raw materials). They are often interchangeable when talking about general finance, but 'gastos' focuses more on the act of spending.

Can I use 'gasto' (singular) instead of 'gastos'?

Yes, but 'gasto' usually refers to one specific expenditure or the act of spending itself. If you are talking about your total monthly bills or general financial burden, you must use the plural 'gastos'.