intenso
“intenso” means “intense” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
intense
Also: strong, heavy
📝 In Action
El calor este verano ha sido muy intenso.
A2The heat this summer has been very intense/strong.
Necesitas una luz más intensa para poder leer en la noche.
B1You need a more intense light to be able to read at night.
El entrenamiento de hoy fue realmente intenso.
B1Today's workout was really intense.
intense
Also: passionate, deep
📝 In Action
Ella tiene sentimientos muy intensos sobre la justicia social.
B2She has very intense feelings about social justice.
Es una persona muy intensa; siempre está pensando en el futuro.
B2He is a very intense person; he's always thinking about the future (meaning deeply focused/serious).
Tuvieron un debate intenso sobre política.
C1They had an intense debate about politics.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: intenso
Question 1 of 1
¿Cuál de estas frases usa 'intenso' para describir una emoción o un sentimiento profundo?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word *intensus*, which meant 'stretched out' or 'strained.' This origin highlights the idea of something being pushed to its limit or having great force or strain.
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make 'intenso' sound stronger, like 'extremely intense'?
You can use the absolute superlative form, which is 'intensísimo' (or 'intensísima' for feminine nouns). This means 'extremely intense' or 'very, very intense' without needing the word 'muy'.
Is 'intenso' always a positive word?
Not always. While it can describe positive things like passion or strong flavor, it is often used for negative things like 'dolor intenso' (intense pain) or 'trabajo intenso' (heavy/stressful work).