Inklingo

How to Say "antecedent" in Spanish

The Spanish word forantecedentis antecedenteB1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishB1
nounB1formal
the word a pronoun refers back to
A stack of old leather-bound books and a family tree scroll on a wooden table.

Examples

La policía revisó sus antecedentes antes de darle el trabajo.

The police checked his background before giving him the job.

No hay antecedentes de una tormenta tan fuerte en esta ciudad.

There is no precedent for such a strong storm in this city.

El paciente no tiene antecedentes médicos de importancia.

The patient has no significant medical history.

Using the Plural

When talking about a person's life history or criminal record, you almost always use the plural form: 'los antecedentes'.

The 'Before' Word

In school, this word is used to describe the person or thing you mentioned first before using a word like 'who' or 'which' (e.g., in 'The boy who ran', 'the boy' is the antecedente).

Record vs. Recuerdo

Mistake:Usar 'record' para hablar de historia criminal.

Correction: Use 'antecedentes' for a history/record. 'Record' (the English word) sounds like 'recuerdo' (memory) or 'récord' (a sports trophy), which are different.

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