How to Say "association" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “association” is “asociación” — use 'asociación' for a formal club or organization, or for a mental connection between ideas.
asociación
Examples
Mi abuela es miembro de una asociación de jardinería.
My grandmother is a member of a gardening association.
organización
Examples
Ella trabaja para una organización no gubernamental.
She works for a non-governmental organization (NGO).
agrupación
Examples
La agrupación musical tocó en la plaza.
The musical group played in the square.
club
kloobklub
Examples
Me uní a un club de lectura para conocer gente.
I joined a book club to meet people.
Mi hijo juega en el club de fútbol del barrio.
My son plays for the neighborhood soccer club.
El club social organiza eventos todos los meses.
The social club organizes events every month.
Making it Plural: 'club' → 'clubes'
Because 'club' ends in a consonant, you add '-es' to make it plural. For example, 'un club' becomes 'dos clubes'.
It's a 'he', not a 'she'
Mistake: “Me gusta la club nueva.”
Correction: Me gusta el club nuevo. Even though it's a word for a group of people, in Spanish 'club' is a masculine word, so you always use 'el' or 'un'.
liga
LEE-gahˈli.ɣa
Examples
Mi equipo favorito ganó la liga el año pasado.
My favorite team won the league last year.
Los tres países formaron una liga defensiva.
The three countries formed a defensive alliance.
Gender Reminder
Even though 'liga' ends in -a, remember it refers to a group or organization, acting as a simple feminine noun.
federación
Examples
La federación de fútbol anunció las nuevas reglas del torneo.
The football federation announced the new rules for the tournament.
gremio
GREH-mee-ohˈɡɾemjo
Examples
El gremio de taxistas está en huelga hoy.
The taxi drivers' union is on strike today.
En la Edad Media, cada gremio tenía sus propias reglas.
In the Middle Ages, each guild had its own rules.
Es un honor ser parte del gremio de escritores.
It is an honor to be part of the writers' trade.
Always Masculine
The word 'gremio' ends in 'o' and is always masculine (el gremio), even if the group is mostly made of women.
Using 'de' for the Trade
To specify which group you mean, simply add 'de' plus the name of the profession: 'gremio de actores' (actors' guild).
Gremio vs. Sindicato
Mistake: “Using 'gremio' exclusively for modern legal unions.”
Correction: While often used interchangeably in some countries, 'sindicato' is the legal term for a labor union, whereas 'gremio' can also mean the whole community of people in that job.
sociedad
soh-see-eh-DAHDso.sjeˈðað
Examples
Crearon una sociedad limitada para reducir riesgos.
They created a limited company (LTD) to reduce risks.
Necesitas registrar la sociedad con el gobierno.
You need to register the company with the government.
Business Acronyms
You will often see 'S.A.' (Sociedad Anónima) or 'S.L.' (Sociedad Limitada) used after a business name, indicating the type of legal company structure.
General vs. Specific Groups
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