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manual

mah-NWAHLmaˈnwal

“manual” means “manual” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

manual, physical

Also: hand-operated
Adjectivem/f (invariable)A1
A pair of hands holding knitting needles and brightly colored yarn, actively creating a piece of fabric.

📝 In Action

El trabajo manual es muy agotador.

A1

Manual labor is very exhausting.

Prefiero la transmisión manual en los coches antiguos.

A2

I prefer manual transmission in old cars.

Hicimos una limpieza manual de todas las piezas pequeñas.

B1

We did a manual cleaning of all the small parts.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • artesanal (handmade)
  • físico (physical)

Antonyms

  • automático (automatic)
  • mecánico (mechanical)

Common Collocations

  • trabajo manual – manual labor
  • caja manual – manual gearbox

manual, handbook

Also: textbook
NounmA2
A thick, open instruction book displaying simple, colorful, step-by-step diagrams without any accompanying text.

📝 In Action

Necesito leer el manual para saber cómo instalar el televisor.

A2

I need to read the manual to know how to install the television.

El manual de procedimientos está en la oficina del jefe.

B1

The procedure handbook is in the boss's office.

Este es el manual de historia que usaremos en clase.

B2

This is the history textbook we will use in class.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • guía (guide)
  • instructivo (instruction sheet)
  • folleto (brochure)

Common Collocations

  • manual de usuario – user manual
  • manual de instrucciones – instruction manual

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "manual" in Spanish:

hand-operated→handbook→manual→physical→textbook→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: manual

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'manual' as a noun (a book)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
mano(hand) — Noun
manualmente(manually) — Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes directly from the Latin *manualis*, meaning 'of the hand.' This is derived from the Latin word for hand, *manus*. Both the adjective (done by hand) and the noun (a book you hold in your hand) share this root.

First recorded: Late Middle Ages

Cognates (Related words)

English: manualFrench: manuel

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'manual' sometimes masculine ('el manual') and sometimes doesn't change gender (like in 'la caja manual')?

When 'manual' is a noun (meaning the book), it is always masculine ('el manual'). When 'manual' is an adjective (describing something), it is invariable—it doesn't change its ending to match masculine or feminine nouns. So, you say 'el trabajo manual' and 'la caja manual'.