germen
“germen” means “germ” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
germ, embryo
Also: seed
📝 In Action
El germen de trigo es una gran fuente de vitaminas.
B1Wheat germ is a great source of vitamins.
Ese desinfectante mata cualquier germen en las manos.
B1That disinfectant kills any germ on your hands.
El biólogo analizó el germen de la planta bajo el microscopio.
B2The biologist analyzed the plant's embryo under the microscope.
seed, source
Also: root
📝 In Action
Ese pequeño desacuerdo fue el germen de su gran pelea.
B2That small disagreement was the seed of their big fight.
Aquí vemos el germen de una nueva teoría científica.
C1Here we see the seed of a new scientific theory.
El libro contiene el germen de sus ideas políticas.
C1The book contains the seed of his political ideas.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: germen
Question 1 of 3
Which of these is a healthy food ingredient?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'germen', which meant a sprig, offshoot, or bud. It shares a common history with the English word 'generate'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'germen' always a bad thing like 'germs' in English?
No! In English, 'germ' often implies something dirty that makes you sick. In Spanish, while it can mean that, it also very commonly refers to the healthy 'embryo' of a plant or the positive beginning of an idea.
Why does the plural 'gérmenes' have an accent but the singular doesn't?
In Spanish, words ending in 'n' usually have the stress on the second-to-last syllable. 'Ger-men' follows this rule naturally. When you add a syllable for the plural ('ger-me-nes'), the stress would naturally move to the 'me'. To keep the stress on the 'ger', we must add a written accent.
Can I use 'germen' for a computer virus?
No, for a computer virus, you should use the word 'virus'. 'Germen' is reserved for biological organisms or figurative seeds of ideas.