How to Say "civil" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “civil” is “civil” — use this word when referring to things related to citizens, the public, or non-criminal private law.
civil
see-VEELθiˈβil
Examples
La guerra civil dividió al país en dos bandos.
The civil war divided the country into two sides.
Todos los empleados son civiles, no hay personal militar.
All the employees are civilian, there is no military staff.
La sociedad civil pidió más transparencia al gobierno.
Civil society asked the government for more transparency.
El derecho civil regula las relaciones entre particulares.
Civil law regulates relationships between private individuals.
Adjective Agreement
Since 'civil' ends in -l, it is the same for both masculine and feminine nouns (e.g., 'el código civil' and 'la guerra civil'). It only changes form for plural: 'civiles'.
The 'Polite' Meaning
In older Spanish, or sometimes in very formal contexts, 'civil' can mean 'polite' or 'courteous,' similar to the English 'civil' when describing manners. This usage is less common today.
Confusing 'Civil' and 'Civic'
Mistake: “Using 'cívico' when referring to non-military life.”
Correction: Use 'civil' for non-military/general citizenry matters. 'Cívico' is usually reserved for duties or behavior related to being a good citizen (e.g., 'deber cívico' - civic duty).
civil
see-VEELθiˈβil
Examples
El derecho civil regula las relaciones entre particulares.
Civil law regulates relationships between private individuals.
La guerra civil dividió al país en dos bandos.
The civil war divided the country into two sides.
Todos los empleados son civiles, no hay personal militar.
All the employees are civilian, there is no military staff.
La sociedad civil pidió más transparencia al gobierno.
Civil society asked the government for more transparency.
Adjective Agreement
Since 'civil' ends in -l, it is the same for both masculine and feminine nouns (e.g., 'el código civil' and 'la guerra civil'). It only changes form for plural: 'civiles'.
The 'Polite' Meaning
In older Spanish, or sometimes in very formal contexts, 'civil' can mean 'polite' or 'courteous,' similar to the English 'civil' when describing manners. This usage is less common today.
Confusing 'Civil' and 'Civic'
Mistake: “Using 'cívico' when referring to non-military life.”
Correction: Use 'civil' for non-military/general citizenry matters. 'Cívico' is usually reserved for duties or behavior related to being a good citizen (e.g., 'deber cívico' - civic duty).
civiles
see-VEE-layssiˈβiles
Examples
Necesitamos más acuerdos civiles entre los países.
We need more civil agreements between the countries.
Los derechos civiles son fundamentales para la democracia.
Civil rights are fundamental for democracy.
La zona fue entregada a las autoridades civiles.
The area was handed over to the civil authorities.
Adjective Agreement
Since 'civiles' is plural, it must be used with plural nouns (like 'derechos' or 'autoridades'). The singular form is 'civil'.
Confusing Singular/Plural
Mistake: “Usar 'derecho civil' cuando se habla de varios derechos.”
Correction: Use 'derechos civiles' (plural) when talking about multiple rights, or 'derecho civil' (singular) for the field of law itself.
intestino
een-tes-TEE-nohintesˈtino
Examples
El partido político colapsó debido a una lucha intestina.
The political party collapsed due to internal infighting.
La empresa sufrió una guerra intestina por el control de la directiva.
The company suffered an internal war for control of the board.
Gender matching
Unlike the noun version, when used as an adjective to describe a fight (lucha) or war (guerra), it must end in 'a' to match: 'lucha intestina'.
Overusing the term
Mistake: “Tengo un problema intestino con mi hermano.”
Correction: Tengo un problema interno con mi hermano.
Civil vs. Intestino
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