off
“off” means “fuera de escena” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
fuera de escena
Also: voz en off
📝 In Action
La voz en off del narrador nos explica la historia.
B1The narrator's voice-over explains the story to us.
Se escucha un grito en off antes de que empiece la música.
B1An off-screen scream is heard before the music starts.
El director decidió usar un off para los pensamientos del personaje.
B2The director decided to use a voice-over for the character's thoughts.
apagado
Also: desconectado
📝 In Action
Pon el interruptor en la posición off.
A2Put the switch in the off position.
La luz roja indica que está en modo off.
B1The red light indicates it is in off mode.
El botón de off no funciona bien.
A2The off button isn't working well.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: off
Question 1 of 3
What is the most common way to say 'voice-over' in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Borrowed directly from English 'off'. It entered Spanish primarily through the film industry and technology during the 20th century.
First recorded: 20th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'off' a formal word in Spanish?
It is considered neutral and technical. In literature or general conversation, you might hear 'fuera de escena', but 'en off' is the standard term in the film industry.
Do I need to pluralize 'off'?
No, 'off' is an invariable loanword in Spanish. You would say 'las voces en off', not 'offs'.
Why do Spanish people use an English word for this?
Many technical terms from cinema and technology were adopted directly from English as the industries grew globally.