ordenador
“ordenador” means “computer” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
computer
Also: PC
📝 In Action
Necesito comprar un ordenador portátil nuevo para la universidad.
A1I need to buy a new laptop computer for university.
Mi ordenador de mesa es muy rápido para editar videos.
B1My desktop computer is very fast for editing videos.
El técnico dijo que el ordenador estaba infectado con un virus.
A2The technician said the computer was infected with a virus.
organizer
Also: arranger
📝 In Action
El director actuó como el ordenador principal del evento.
C1The director acted as the main organizer of the event.
Necesitamos un buen ordenador de datos para el archivo.
C2We need a good data arranger for the archive.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: ordenador
Question 1 of 2
Which statement is true about the usage of 'ordenador'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes directly from the Spanish verb 'ordenar,' meaning 'to order' or 'to arrange.' When the first electronic calculating machines appeared, Spain adopted this term (similar to the French 'ordinateur') to emphasize the machine's function of processing and arranging data, rather than just calculating, which is the focus of the English word 'computer.'
First recorded: Mid-20th century (for the electronic device meaning)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
¿Es 'ordenador' masculino o femenino?
It is a masculine noun, so you always use 'el' before it: 'el ordenador' (the computer).
¿Por qué se llama 'ordenador' en España y 'computadora' en otros lugares?
The difference is historical. Spain adopted 'ordenador' (from 'to order/arrange') based on the French word 'ordinateur,' emphasizing the machine's function of organizing data. Latin America adopted 'computadora' (from 'to compute/calculate') based on the English word 'computer.'