tarea
“tarea” means “homework” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
homework
Also: assignment
📝 In Action
¿Hiciste la tarea de matemáticas?
A1Did you do the math homework?
La profesora nos dio mucha tarea para el fin de semana.
A2The teacher gave us a lot of homework for the weekend.
task
Also: chore, job
📝 In Action
Mi tarea de hoy es llamar al banco y pagar las cuentas.
A2My task today is to call the bank and pay the bills.
Las tareas domésticas son responsabilidad de todos en la casa.
B1Household chores are everyone's responsibility in the house.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: tarea
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'tarea' in the sense of 'household chore'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word 'tarea' comes from the Arabic word *ṭarīḥa*, which meant 'something thrown or imposed.' This sense of something being assigned or required is what survived into modern Spanish.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre 'tarea' y 'trabajo'?
'Tarea' usually refers to a specific, often short, piece of assigned work, like homework or a single item on a checklist. 'Trabajo' is broader, usually meaning one's paid employment, career, or a large, ongoing project.
¿Por qué 'tarea' es una palabra femenina si termina en 'a'?
'Tarea' is feminine, which is typical for nouns ending in -a. Always say 'la tarea' (the task) and use feminine adjectives with it.