Inklingo
← Dictionary

químicos

/KEE-mee-kohs/

chemicals

A collection of brightly colored liquids in simple glass beakers and test tubes, representing various chemicals.

As a noun, químicos means "chemicals," or substances used in chemistry.

químicos(noun)

mA2

chemicals

?

substances

Also:

chemists

?

people who study chemistry (less common than 'químicas/os')

📝 In Action

Muchos productos de limpieza contienen químicos fuertes.

A2

Many cleaning products contain strong chemicals.

Debemos guardar los químicos bajo llave, lejos de los niños.

B1

We must store the chemicals locked up, away from children.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sustancias (substances)
  • compuestos (compounds)

Common Collocations

  • químicos tóxicos – toxic chemicals
  • químicos orgánicos – organic chemicals

💡 Grammar Points

Gender and Plural

Since 'químicos' ends in -os, we know it is a masculine noun and is plural. This means it describes multiple masculine things or a mix of masculine and feminine things.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the wrong gender

Mistake: "La químicos son peligrosos."

Correction: Los químicos son peligrosos. (The article 'los' must match the masculine noun 'químicos'.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Singular Form

The singular form is 'químico' (one chemical). You usually see the plural form 'químicos' when talking about groups of ingredients.

Two glass test tubes being poured together, causing a vibrant eruption of purple foam and bubbles, symbolizing a chemical process.

Used as an adjective, químicos describes something "chemical" or relating to the science of chemistry.

químicos(adjective)

mA2

chemical

?

relating to chemistry (plural masculine)

📝 In Action

Necesitamos analizar los procesos químicos en la fábrica.

B1

We need to analyze the chemical processes in the factory.

Los elementos químicos se combinan de muchas maneras.

B2

The chemical elements combine in many ways.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • científicos (scientific)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • experimentos químicos – chemical experiments
  • reactivos químicos – chemical reagents

💡 Grammar Points

Adjective Agreement

As an adjective, 'químicos' must match the noun it describes in number (plural) and gender (masculine). It is used for plural masculine nouns, like 'procesos' or 'productos'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mismatched agreement

Mistake: "Las reacciones químico fueron rápidas."

Correction: Las reacciones químicas fueron rápidas. (The adjective must be feminine plural 'químicas' to match 'reacciones'.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Placement

Like most Spanish adjectives, 'químicos' usually comes immediately after the noun it describes (e.g., 'productos químicos').

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: químicos

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'químicos' as a noun (a thing)?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

químico(chemical (singular m.)) - adjective/noun
química(chemistry / chemical (singular f.)) - noun/adjective
químicamente(chemically) - adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'químicos' and 'sustancias'?

'Químicos' often implies substances that are manufactured or used in industry/science (like pesticides or cleaning agents). 'Sustancias' is a broader, more general term for any material or substance.

Can 'químicos' refer to people?

Yes, but less often. It can mean 'chemists' (people who work in chemistry). However, when referring to male chemists, the most common noun is often 'los químicos' (the chemists), matching the plural noun definition.