How to Say "backup" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “backup” is “refuerzos” — use 'refuerzos' when you need to talk about additional people or resources sent to support a group, especially in military, police, or sports contexts..
refuerzos
/reh-FWEHR-sos//reˈfweɾsos/
Examples
El equipo de rescate pidió refuerzos para llegar a la cima de la montaña.
The rescue team asked for reinforcements to reach the mountain summit.
El general solicitó refuerzos inmediatamente después del ataque.
The general requested reinforcements immediately after the attack.
La policía envió refuerzos para controlar la manifestación.
The police sent backup (or reinforcements) to control the demonstration.
Llamaron a los bomberos pidiendo más refuerzos de agua.
They called the firefighters asking for more water support.
Always Plural in This Context
When talking about troops or personnel sent to help, 'refuerzos' is almost always used in the plural, even if English might use a singular word like 'backup'.
respaldo
rehs-PAHL-doh/resˈpaldo/
Examples
Hice un respaldo de todos mis documentos importantes antes de formatear el disco duro.
I made a backup of all my important documents before formatting the hard drive.
No olvides hacer un respaldo de tus fotos en la nube.
Don't forget to make a backup of your photos in the cloud.
Backup: Personnel vs. Data
Related Translations
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