Inklingo

How to Say "bookkeeper" in Spanish

English → Spanish

contable

/kon-TAH-bleh//konˈtaβle/

nounA2general
Use 'contable' when referring to a professional who handles daily financial transactions and bookkeeping, especially in a company setting.
A friendly person wearing glasses sitting at a desk with a stack of papers and a small calculator.

Examples

Mi hermana es contable y trabaja para una multinacional.

My sister is an accountant and works for a multinational company.

Necesito hablar con el contable sobre mis impuestos.

I need to talk to the accountant about my taxes.

One word for both genders

This word doesn't change its ending for men or women. Use 'el contable' for a man and 'la contable' for a woman.

Avoiding 'contabla'

Mistake: “Using 'la contabla' for a female accountant.”

Correction: Always use 'la contable'. Words ending in -able do not change to -abla.

contador

/kon-tah-DOR//kontaˈðoɾ/

nounA2general
Choose 'contador' when the focus is on the person who audits or verifies financial records, or a personal accountant who manages your taxes.
A professional person in a suit sitting at a desk with a stack of gold coins and a calculator.

Examples

Mi contador dice que debemos pagar los impuestos mañana.

My accountant says we must pay the taxes tomorrow.

Ella quiere ser contadora cuando termine la universidad.

She wants to be an accountant when she finishes university.

Changing for Gender

Even though this entry is for the masculine 'contador,' remember that if the person is female, you change it to 'contadora.'

Confusing with Computers

Mistake: “Using 'contador' to mean a personal computer.”

Correction: Use 'computadora' or 'ordenador' for the machine you type on. A 'contador' is a person or a measuring device.

Contable vs. Contador

Learners often confuse 'contable' and 'contador' because both relate to accounting. Remember that 'contable' is the general term for an accountant, while 'contador' often implies a more specialized role like an auditor or tax preparer.

Related Translations

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