Inklingo

How to Say "assets" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “assets” is “recursos” — use 'recursos' for general financial, natural, or material wealth needed to achieve a goal, often implying availability..

recursos🔊A1

Use 'recursos' for general financial, natural, or material wealth needed to achieve a goal, often implying availability.

{ui.learnMore}
bienes🔊B1

Use 'bienes' to refer to property or possessions that have economic or financial value, especially when discussing inheritance or division of wealth.

{ui.learnMore}
activos🔊B2

Choose 'activos' specifically for financial belongings, investments, or resources that a company or individual owns and can be used to generate income or pay debts.

{ui.learnMore}
posesiónB1

Use 'posesión' when referring to items of wealth, both financial and physical, that someone possesses, especially when emphasizing ownership or the act of selling them off.

{ui.learnMore}
herramientas🔊B1

Use 'herramientas' figuratively to mean advantages, skills, or qualities that are useful for achieving something, similar to 'tools'.

{ui.learnMore}
capital🔊B1

Use 'capital' specifically in an accounting or business context to refer to the financial assets available for investment or starting a project.

{ui.learnMore}
haber🔊C1

Use 'haber' in finance and accounting, referring to the credit side of an account or the total assets of a company.

{ui.learnMore}
English → Spanish

recursos

/reh-KOOR-sos//reˈkuɾsos/

nounA1general
Use 'recursos' for general financial, natural, or material wealth needed to achieve a goal, often implying availability.
A colorful stack of useful resources, including gold coins, wooden blocks, and fresh apples.

Examples

Necesitamos más recursos para terminar el proyecto a tiempo.

We need more resources to finish the project on time.

Los recursos naturales del país son muy valiosos.

The country's natural resources are very valuable.

La escuela no tiene suficientes recursos económicos.

The school doesn't have enough financial resources (funds).

Always Plural

In this context, 'recursos' is almost always used in the plural when referring to general assets or funds.

Confusing 'Recurso' and 'Recursos'

Mistake: “Using 'recurso' (singular) when talking about multiple funds or general assets.”

Correction: Use 'recursos' (plural) when talking about resources in general, like money or materials.

bienes

bee-EH-ness/ˈbjenes/

nounB1general
Use 'bienes' to refer to property or possessions that have economic or financial value, especially when discussing inheritance or division of wealth.
A colorful illustration showing a stack of various household goods, including a red book, a yellow teapot, a blue baseball bat, and a small green toy box.

Examples

Todos sus bienes fueron repartidos entre sus hijos.

All his goods (assets) were divided among his children.

La empresa debe declarar sus bienes anualmente.

The company must declare its assets annually.

Solo llevaba unos pocos bienes personales en la maleta.

He only carried a few personal possessions in the suitcase.

Always Plural for 'Assets'

Even though the singular 'bien' means 'goodness' or 'well,' when you talk about physical or financial assets, you almost always use the plural form, 'bienes'.

Confusing Bien and Bienes

Mistake: “Using 'tengo mucho bien' to mean 'I have a lot of stuff.'”

Correction: Use 'tengo muchos bienes' or 'tengo muchas cosas.' 'Bien' usually means 'well' (adverb) or 'the good' (abstract concept).

activos

/ak-TEE-vohs//akˈtiβos/

nounB2financial, accounting
Choose 'activos' specifically for financial belongings, investments, or resources that a company or individual owns and can be used to generate income or pay debts.
A wooden chest overflowing with gold coins and sparkling jewels.

Examples

La empresa vendió sus activos para pagar las deudas.

The company sold its assets to pay the debts.

Los activos digitales son cada vez más importantes.

Digital assets are becoming increasingly important.

The Business 'Plural'

In accounting, you usually talk about 'activos' (plural) to refer to the total collection of what a company owns.

posesión

nounB1general
Use 'posesión' when referring to items of wealth, both financial and physical, that someone possesses, especially when emphasizing ownership or the act of selling them off.

Examples

Vendió todas sus posesiones para iniciar una nueva vida.

He sold all his belongings (possessions) to start a new life.

herramientas

/ehr-ra-mee-EN-tas//e.raˈmjen.tas/

nounB1figurative
Use 'herramientas' figuratively to mean advantages, skills, or qualities that are useful for achieving something, similar to 'tools'.
A brightly lit wooden desk featuring a stack of three colorful books next to a small, glowing desk lamp, symbolizing intellectual resources.

Examples

La empatía es una herramienta fundamental para el liderazgo.

Empathy is a fundamental tool/asset for leadership.

Las herramientas digitales facilitan el trabajo remoto.

Digital tools/resources facilitate remote work.

Necesitamos nuevas herramientas para resolver este problema.

We need new methods/strategies to solve this problem.

Figurative Use

When used figuratively, 'herramientas' refers to any skill, knowledge, or resource that helps you complete a task, just like physical tools do.

Using the Singular

Mistake: “The knowledge is a tool: 'El conocimiento es una herramienta.'”

Correction: While grammatically correct, it is far more common to speak of skills or knowledge in the plural: 'El conocimiento es una de las herramientas más valiosas.' (Knowledge is one of the most valuable tools/assets.)

capital

kah-pee-TAHL/ka.piˈtal/

nounB1accounting, business
Use 'capital' specifically in an accounting or business context to refer to the financial assets available for investment or starting a project.
A storybook illustration showing a massive, overflowing pile of golden coins and stacked paper money, representing financial capital.

Examples

Necesitamos más capital para iniciar el proyecto.

We need more capital to start the project.

El capital humano es el recurso más valioso de la empresa.

Human capital is the company's most valuable resource.

Masculine Noun

When talking about money or wealth, 'capital' is masculine, so you must use 'el capital'.

Confusing Gender

Mistake: “Usar 'la capital' para referirse a la inversión.”

Correction: Use 'el capital' (masculine) when talking about money or assets. 'La capital' means the city.

haber

/ah-BEHR//aˈβeɾ/

nounC1finance, accounting
Use 'haber' in finance and accounting, referring to the credit side of an account or the total assets of a company.
A treasure chest overflowing with gold coins and jewels, representing financial assets or credit balance.

Examples

El contador revisó el debe y el haber de la cuenta.

The accountant checked the debit and credit of the account.

El haber total de la compañía es impresionante.

The company's total assets are impressive.

General vs. Specific Financial Terms

Learners often confuse general terms like 'recursos' or 'bienes' with the more specific financial accounting term 'activos'. While 'recursos' and 'bienes' can refer to assets, 'activos' is the precise term used in formal financial statements and discussions about a company's balance sheet.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.