How to Say "clerk" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “clerk” is “administrativo” — use this term for a general office worker or administrative assistant in a modern business or organizational setting.
administrativo
ad-mee-nees-tra-TEE-bohaðministɾaˈtiβo
Examples
El administrativo me pidió mi documento de identidad.
The administrative assistant asked me for my ID.
Trabajo como administrativo en un hospital.
I work as an office clerk in a hospital.
Él es el administrativo encargado de las nóminas.
He is the clerk in charge of payroll.
Describing a Man
When using this as a naming word for a person, 'administrativo' specifically refers to a man. For a woman, you would use 'administrativa'.
Using 'Administrador' by mistake
Mistake: “El administrador me dio los papeles.”
Correction: El administrativo me dio los papeles.
oficial
o-fee-SYALo.fiˈsjal
Examples
Un oficial de policía me pidió la documentación.
A police officer asked me for my documents.
El presidente se reunió con altos oficiales del ejército.
The president met with high-ranking army officers.
Un oficial del gobierno visitó nuestra ciudad.
A government official visited our city.
Talking About Women
To talk about a female officer or official, you can often just use 'la oficial'. For example, 'La oficial me ayudó'. The feminine form 'oficiala' exists but is much less common.
escriba
es-KREE-bahesˈkɾi.βa
Examples
Antes de la imprenta, el escriba era esencial para preservar los textos.
Before the printing press, the scribe was essential for preserving texts.
El escriba real registraba todas las decisiones del rey.
The royal scribe recorded all the king's decisions.
Gender Note
Although the profession of scribe (escriba) was often historically male, the word itself is usually treated as grammatically masculine (el escriba), even when referring to a woman, though la escriba is also accepted.
Modern Office vs. Official Roles
Related Translations
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