indefinido
“indefinido” means “vague or unclear” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
vague or unclear, permanent or open-ended
Also: indefinite
📝 In Action
Tengo un contrato indefinido en mi nuevo trabajo.
B1I have a permanent contract at my new job.
Ella siente un malestar indefinido.
B2She feels a vague sense of discomfort.
La reunión se pospuso por tiempo indefinido.
B1The meeting was postponed for an indefinite period of time.
the preterite tense
📝 In Action
¿Cuándo usamos el indefinido?
A2When do we use the preterite past tense?
Hoy vamos a estudiar los verbos irregulares del indefinido.
A2Today we are going to study the irregular verbs in the preterite.
El indefinido se usa para acciones terminadas.
B1The preterite is used for completed actions.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "indefinido" in Spanish:
indefinite→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: indefinido
Question 1 of 3
If you get a 'contrato indefinido', what does it mean?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'indefinitus'. The 'in-' part means 'not' and 'definitus' means 'limited' or 'defined'. Essentially, it describes something that hasn't had its boundaries set.
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'indefinido' always mean permanent?
Only when talking about time or work contracts. In most other cases, it means vague, unclear, or not specific.
Is it the same as 'vago'?
They are similar, but 'vago' often implies laziness when used for people, whereas 'indefinido' just means something isn't clearly defined.
Why is the past tense called 'indefinido'?
It refers to actions that happened at a specific point, but the name comes from an old grammar tradition that distinguishes it from the 'imperfect' (unfinished) tense.