interés
/een-teh-REHS/
interest
When interés means 'curiosity' or 'attention', it describes a state of fascination.
📝 In Action
¿Tienes interés en aprender a bailar salsa?
A1Do you have any interest in learning to dance salsa?
El profesor despertó mucho interés en la clase sobre historia romana.
A2The professor sparked a lot of interest in the class about Roman history.
Perdí todo interés en ese proyecto.
A2I lost all interest in that project.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'Tener' for Interest
Unlike English, which uses the verb 'to be' (I am interested), Spanish uses 'tener' (to have): 'Yo tengo interés'. Remember to say 'have interest' when you talk about being curious.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Don't confuse the noun and the adjective
Mistake: "Soy intereso en el cine. (Incorrect verb form)"
Correction: Tengo interés en el cine. (I have interest in cinema.) The word 'interesado' is the adjective for 'interested'.
Interés is often used to describe the money earned or paid on a loan.
interés(noun)
interest
?money earned or paid for a loan
interest rate
?the percentage charged
,yield
?return on an investment
📝 In Action
El banco ofrece un alto interés para las cuentas de ahorro.
B1The bank offers a high interest rate for savings accounts.
El préstamo tiene un tipo de interés fijo del 5%.
B1The loan has a fixed interest rate of 5%.
Hemos pagado una enorme cantidad de intereses en la hipoteca.
B2We have paid an enormous amount of interest on the mortgage.
💡 Grammar Points
Interest as a Countable Noun
When talking about the accumulated payments, 'interés' can become plural: 'los intereses'. This is very common when discussing bank debt or mortgage payments.
⭐ Usage Tips
Specifying the Rate
To specifically mean 'interest rate' (the percentage), always say 'tipo de interés'.
The word interés can also refer to 'self-interest' or personal advantage.
interés(noun)
self-interest
?personal advantage or motivation
stake
?a share or involvement
,benefit
?what one gains
📝 In Action
Actuó únicamente por su propio interés, sin pensar en los demás.
B2He acted solely out of self-interest, without thinking of others.
Tenemos un interés común en que la empresa tenga éxito.
B2We have a common stake (or common interest) in the company succeeding.
La ley protege el interés general de la comunidad.
C1The law protects the general interest of the community.
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on Motivation
In this context, 'interés' often describes the underlying motivation or driving force behind someone's actions, particularly when it's personal gain.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: interés
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'interés' in the financial sense?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Since 'interés' ends in -s, why is it masculine ('el interés')?
Nouns that end in consonants in Spanish are typically masculine, and 'interés' follows this rule. Even though it ends in -s, it is treated like any other masculine noun ending in a consonant, such as 'el árbol' or 'el motor'.
When do I use 'interés' versus 'interesante'?
'Interés' is a person, place, or thing (a noun), referring to the feeling itself ('Tengo interés' - I have the feeling). 'Interesante' is a describing word (an adjective), referring to what causes the feeling ('El libro es interesante' - The book is the cause).