secreto
/seh-KREH-toh/
secret
As a masculine noun, el secreto means a piece of information that is kept hidden or concealed.
📝 In Action
No le digas a nadie, es un secreto.
A2Don't tell anyone, it's a secret.
Mi hermano es bueno para guardar secretos.
B1My brother is good at keeping secrets.
El secreto de su éxito es la perseverancia.
B2The secret to his success is perseverance.
💡 Grammar Points
Always Masculine
When 'secreto' is a noun (a thing), it's always masculine. Always use 'el secreto' or 'un secreto', never 'la secreta' or 'una secreta'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing with the Adjective
Mistake: "Tengo una secreta para ti."
Correction: Tengo un secreto para ti. (I have a secret for you.) The noun is always 'un secreto'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Open Secrets
The phrase 'un secreto a voces' is fantastic for talking about something everyone knows but pretends not to. For example: 'Que van a despedir al jefe es un secreto a voces.' (That they're going to fire the boss is an open secret.)
As an adjective, secreto describes something that is hidden, concealed, or not known by others, such as a secret passage.
secreto(Adjective)
secret
?describing something hidden
covert
?describing an action
,hidden
?describing a location
📝 In Action
Hay una puerta secreta detrás de la estantería.
B1There's a secret door behind the bookshelf.
Tuvieron una reunión secreta para discutir el plan.
B1They had a secret meeting to discuss the plan.
El agente secreto llevaba un micrófono oculto.
A2The secret agent wore a hidden microphone.
💡 Grammar Points
Matching the Noun
When used to describe something, 'secreto' must change its ending to match the noun's gender. Use 'secreto' for masculine things ('un plan secreto') and 'secreta' for feminine things ('una misión secreta').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting to Change the Ending
Mistake: "Tienen una reunión secreto."
Correction: Tienen una reunión secreta. (They have a secret meeting.) Because 'reunión' is a feminine word, the adjective describing it must also end in '-a'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Placement is Key
Usually, 'secreto' comes after the thing it describes, like 'un código secreto' (a secret code). This is the most common and natural way to say it in everyday conversation.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: secreto
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'secreto' and 'oculto'?
They are very similar! 'Secreto' implies that information is intentionally kept from others, like a plan or a piece of gossip. 'Oculto' means 'hidden' and can be used for physical objects or things that are simply not visible, not necessarily on purpose. For example, 'un tesoro oculto' (a hidden treasure).
How do I know whether to use 'secreto' or 'secreta'?
It depends on its job in the sentence. If it's the secret itself (a noun), it's always 'un secreto' or 'el secreto'. If it's describing another word (an adjective), it must match that word's gender: 'un pasaje secreto' (masculine) but 'una entrada secreta' (feminine).