vital
“vital” means “essential” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
essential, crucial
Also: key, indispensable
📝 In Action
La hidratación es vital para los deportistas.
B1Hydration is essential for athletes.
Es vital que firmemos el contrato antes de mañana.
B2It is crucial that we sign the contract before tomorrow.
Su apoyo fue un factor vital en nuestra victoria.
B1Their support was a vital factor in our victory.
vital, life-sustaining
Also: life-giving
📝 In Action
La enfermera revisó los signos vitales del paciente.
B2The nurse checked the patient's vital signs.
El corazón cumple una función vital en el cuerpo humano.
B2The heart fulfills a vital function in the human body.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "vital" in Spanish:
crucial→essential→indispensable→key→life-giving→life-sustaining→vital→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: vital
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'vital' in its figurative sense (meaning 'essential')?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
'Vital' comes directly from the Latin word *vitalis*, which simply meant 'pertaining to life' or 'full of life.' Its meaning evolved naturally to describe anything that is essential for survival, like life itself.
First recorded: Medieval Latin
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn 'vital' into an adverb (meaning 'vitally')?
To make 'vital' describe how an action is done, simply add '-mente' to the end: 'vitalmente'. For example, 'Es vitalmente importante' (It is vitally important).
Does 'vital' change its ending for masculine and feminine nouns?
No, 'vital' is one of those adjectives that stays the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. It only changes when you make it plural by adding '-es' (vitales).