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secundario

seh-koon-DAH-ryoh/sekunˈdaɾjo/

secondary, supporting

Also: minor, side
A small, simple sprout growing in the shadow of a large, majestic oak tree.

📝 In Action

Él es un personaje secundario en la novela.

A2

He is a supporting character in the novel.

Ese es un problema secundario; primero resolvemos esto.

B1

That is a secondary problem; let's solve this first.

Tomamos una carretera secundaria para evitar el tráfico.

B2

We took a secondary road to avoid the traffic.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • personaje secundario – supporting character
  • papel secundario – supporting role
  • actor secundario – supporting actor

secondary

Also: high school
A teenager wearing a backpack walking towards a building with a large school bus parked nearby.

📝 In Action

Mi hijo termina la educación secundaria este año.

A2

My son finishes secondary education this year.

Ella es profesora de secundaria.

B1

She is a high school teacher.

Los estudios secundarios son muy importantes.

B1

Secondary studies are very important.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • educación secundaria – secondary education
  • escuela secundaria – secondary school

side

Also: secondary
A glass of water and a single pill sitting on a wooden table next to a small, wilted flower.

📝 In Action

Este jarabe no tiene efectos secundarios.

B1

This syrup has no side effects.

La infección fue un síntoma secundario.

B2

The infection was a secondary symptom.

Es una reacción secundaria al tratamiento.

C1

It is a secondary reaction to the treatment.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • efectos secundarios – side effects
  • reacción secundaria – secondary reaction

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "secundario" in Spanish:

high school→minor→secondary→side→supporting→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: secundario

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'side effects' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
segundo(second) — Adjective
secundar(to back/support) — Verb
secundariamente(secondarily) — Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'secundarius', which meant 'belonging to the second class or quality'. It comes from 'secundus' (second).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: secondaryFrench: secondaireItalian: secondario

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'secundario' the same as 'segundo'?

No. 'Segundo' means the number two in a list (2nd). 'Secundario' means that something is less important than the main thing or belongs to a specific level like high school.

Can I use 'secundario' for people?

Yes, but usually in a professional context like 'un actor secundario' (a supporting actor). Calling someone a 'persona secundaria' in real life might sound a bit rude as it implies they aren't important.

Does it change if I'm talking about a girl?

Yes! If you are describing a feminine noun (like 'la escuela'), you must use 'secundaria'.