Inklingo

How to Say "accounting" in Spanish

English → Spanish

contabilidad

kon-tah-bee-lee-dahdkontabiliˈdad

nounB1general
Use this word when referring to the field of study, the profession, or the general concept of accounting.
A neat stack of leather-bound ledgers and a wooden abacus on a clean desk.

Examples

Ella decidió estudiar contabilidad para trabajar en un banco.

She decided to study accounting to work at a bank.

El departamento de contabilidad está en el segundo piso.

The accounting department is on the second floor.

Llevar la contabilidad de una pequeña empresa requiere mucha organización.

Keeping the books for a small business requires a lot of organization.

Always Feminine

Words that end in '-dad' are almost always feminine. You should always use 'la' or 'una' with this word.

The 'Llevar' Connection

In English, we say we 'do' the accounting. In Spanish, we use the verb 'llevar' (to carry/lead) to describe managing or keeping the books.

The 'Accountability' Trap

Mistake:Él tiene mucha contabilidad en su trabajo.

Correction: Él tiene mucha responsabilidad en su trabajo.

contable

kon-TAH-blehkonˈtaβle

adjectiveB2general
Use this word when describing something that is related to or pertains to the keeping of financial records, such as a period or a person who performs accounting tasks.
A leather-bound ledger book lying open on a wooden table next to a fountain pen.

Examples

El ejercicio contable termina en diciembre.

The accounting period ends in December.

En gramática, 'agua' no es un nombre contable.

In grammar, 'water' is not a countable noun.

Describing Nouns

As an adjective, it goes after the noun it describes, like 'periodo contable'.

Noun vs. Adjective Confusion

The most common mistake is using 'contable' (adjective) when you mean the profession or field of study, which requires 'contabilidad' (noun). Remember, 'contabilidad' is the *what* (the field), and 'contable' describes something *related to* accounting.

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