Inklingo

How to Say "candidate" in Spanish

English → Spanish

candidato

kahn-dee-DAH-tohkan.diˈda.to

nounA2general
Use 'candidato' when referring to someone officially running for political office or applying for a formal position, like a job.
A smiling person in professional clothing stands behind a wooden podium, waving to an unseen audience, symbolizing a candidate running for office.

Examples

El candidato presidencial prometió bajar los impuestos.

The presidential candidate promised to lower taxes.

Fui uno de los candidatos seleccionados para la entrevista final.

I was one of the candidates selected for the final interview.

Buscan un candidato joven para modernizar la empresa.

They are looking for a young candidate to modernize the company.

Gender Matching

Since 'candidato' refers to a person, you must change the ending if referring to a woman: 'el candidato' (the male candidate) becomes 'la candidata' (the female candidate).

Using the wrong article

Mistake: “La candidato tiene buenas ideas.”

Correction: El candidato tiene buenas ideas. (The article 'el' must match the masculine noun 'candidato'.)

aspirante

ahs-pee-RAHN-tehaspiˈɾante

nounB1general
Use 'aspirante' for someone who is applying for a job or position, especially when there are many applicants and the selection process is ongoing.
A person in a professional suit holding a folder and sitting in a waiting room chair.

Examples

Había más de cien aspirantes para el puesto de profesor.

There were more than a hundred applicants for the teaching position.

La joven aspirante a actriz fue a su primera audición.

The young aspiring actress went to her first audition.

El jurado eligió al aspirante más preparado.

The jury chose the most prepared candidate.

One word for both genders

The word itself doesn't change based on gender. To show if you are talking about a man or a woman, just change the word 'the' or 'a' before it: 'el aspirante' (the male candidate) and 'la aspirante' (the female candidate).

The 'To' Connection

In Spanish, we usually put the word 'a' after 'aspirante' to show what the person wants to be. For example: 'aspirante a chef' (aspiring chef).

Don't use 'aspiranta'

Mistake: “La aspiranta al trono.”

Correction: La aspirante al trono. Even though it ends in 'e', you don't change it to 'a' for women.

Candidato vs. Aspirante

Learners often use 'candidato' for any job application, but it's more formal and often implies a political race. Reserve 'candidato' for elections or very formal selection processes. Use 'aspirante' for general job seekers, especially when there's competition.

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