oficiales
“oficiales” means “official” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
official, formal
Also: authoritative
📝 In Action
Las cifras oficiales de ventas se publicarán mañana.
A2The official sales figures will be published tomorrow.
Tuvimos que seguir las reglas oficiales del concurso.
B1We had to follow the official rules of the competition.
Los idiomas oficiales de Canadá son el inglés y el francés.
B1The official languages of Canada are English and French.
officers, officials
Also: commissioned officers
📝 In Action
Los oficiales de la marina supervisaron la operación de rescate.
B2The navy officers supervised the rescue operation.
Los oficiales de aduanas inspeccionaron el cargamento.
B1The customs officials inspected the shipment.
Se necesitan más oficiales para cubrir el turno de noche.
A2More officers are needed to cover the night shift.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "oficiales" in Spanish:
authoritative→commissioned officers→formal→official→officials→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: oficiales
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'oficiales' as a noun (referring to people)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word *officialis*, meaning 'pertaining to a duty or office.' It entered Spanish as a term for someone holding a public position.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if 'oficiales' is describing something or referring to a person?
If it comes right before or after a thing (like 'documentos' or 'reglas'), it's an adjective meaning 'authorized.' If it has 'los' or 'las' in front of it and is the main subject of the sentence, it refers to people holding a rank, like police or military officers.