Inklingo

obreros

oh-BREH-rohs/oˈβɾeɾos/

obreros means workers in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

workers, laborers

Also: blue-collar workers
NounmA2
A group of people wearing hard hats and safety vests standing together on a construction site.

📝 In Action

Los obreros terminaron la construcción del edificio en seis meses.

A2

The workers finished the construction of the building in six months.

La fábrica contrató a cien nuevos obreros para el turno de noche.

B1

The factory hired a hundred new laborers for the night shift.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • obreros de la construcciónconstruction workers
  • clase obreraworking class

labor, working-class

Also: proletarian
A group of people standing together in solidarity, holding a large blank banner.

📝 In Action

Los sindicatos obreros exigen mejores salarios.

B1

The labor unions demand better salaries.

Viven en barrios obreros a las afueras de la ciudad.

B2

They live in working-class neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • aristocrático (aristocratic)
  • burgués (bourgeois/middle-class)

Common Collocations

  • movimientos obreroslabor movements
  • barrios obrerosworking-class neighborhoods

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: obreros

Question 1 of 2

Which of these people would most likely be called an 'obrero'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
senderosprimerosdineros
📚 Etymology

From the Latin word 'operarius', which means 'worker'. This comes from 'opus' (meaning 'work' or 'deed').

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: operatorFrench: ouvrierItalian: operaio

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'obreros' offensive?

No, it is a neutral, standard term. However, in some political contexts, it carries a strong 'working-class' identity.

What is the difference between 'trabajadores' and 'obreros'?

'Trabajadores' is a broad term for anyone with a job. 'Obreros' is more specific to manual labor, factories, and construction.