Inklingo

How to Say "collection" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “collection” is “colección” — use 'colección' when referring to a group of items gathered for display, study, or hobby, like stamps, art, or books..

colecciónA1

Use 'colección' when referring to a group of items gathered for display, study, or hobby, like stamps, art, or books.

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grupo🔊A1

Use 'grupo' for a general gathering of items or people, often in a less organized or permanent way than a 'colección'.

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conjunto🔊A2

Use 'conjunto' to refer to a set of related items or a group considered as a whole, such as a set of rules or a collection of musical pieces.

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reuniónB2

Use 'reunión' when 'collection' refers to a gathering of works, like essays or articles, brought together in one place, often in a publication.

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vaca🔊B2

Use 'vaca' specifically for a collection of money contributed by several people for a common purpose, like a gift or a party.

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suite🔊C1

Use 'suite' when 'collection' refers to a set of things that naturally go together, most commonly a set of musical pieces or a hotel suite.

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English → Spanish

colección

nounA1general
Use 'colección' when referring to a group of items gathered for display, study, or hobby, like stamps, art, or books.

Examples

Mi abuelo tiene una colección increíble de relojes antiguos.

My grandfather has an incredible collection of antique watches.

grupo

/GROO-poh//ˈɡɾupo/

nounA1general
Use 'grupo' for a general gathering of items or people, often in a less organized or permanent way than a 'colección'.
A collection of three bright red apples sitting closely together on a flat surface, representing a general group of things.

Examples

Un grupo de turistas espera el autobús.

A group of tourists is waiting for the bus.

Hay un grupo de llaves sobre la mesa.

There is a bunch of keys on the table.

Vamos a trabajar en grupos de tres personas.

We are going to work in groups of three people.

One Group IS, Not ARE

Even though a 'grupo' has many members, Spanish treats the word itself as one single thing. So, you use the singular form of the verb. For example, say 'El grupo es grande' (The group is big), not 'El grupo son grande'.

conjunto

/kon-HOON-toh//konˈxunto/

nounA2general
Use 'conjunto' to refer to a set of related items or a group considered as a whole, such as a set of rules or a collection of musical pieces.
Four brightly colored wooden building blocks (cube, pyramid, cylinder, sphere) arranged together, representing a set.

Examples

El conjunto de reglas es simple.

The set of rules is simple.

Necesitamos analizar el conjunto de datos antes de decidir.

We need to analyze the data set before deciding.

El conjunto de edificios antiguos es muy bonito.

The group of old buildings is very beautiful.

Masculine Noun

Remember that 'conjunto' is always masculine, so you must use 'el' or 'un' before it, and any adjectives describing it must also end in -o (e.g., 'el conjunto grande').

reunión

nounB2general
Use 'reunión' when 'collection' refers to a gathering of works, like essays or articles, brought together in one place, often in a publication.

Examples

El libro es una reunión de sus mejores ensayos.

The book is a collection of his best essays.

vaca

/BAH-kah//ˈbaka/

nounB2informal
Use 'vaca' specifically for a collection of money contributed by several people for a common purpose, like a gift or a party.
Multiple hands, representing different people, dropping shiny gold coins into a large, half-full glass jar, symbolizing a shared money collection.

Examples

Vamos a hacer una vaca para comprarle un regalo a Carlos.

We are going to start a collection (a kitty) to buy Carlos a gift.

Si todos ponemos diez euros, completamos la vaca para la cena.

If we all put in ten euros, we complete the pot for dinner.

Using 'Hacer'

The most common way to use this meaning is with the verb 'hacer' (to do/make): 'hacer una vaca' means 'to organize a collection'.

suite

/sweet//swi.te/

nounC1general
Use 'suite' when 'collection' refers to a set of things that naturally go together, most commonly a set of musical pieces or a hotel suite.
A simple illustration showing a violin, a viola, and a cello placed together, representing a complete set of related musical instruments.

Examples

El compositor terminó la suite orquestal en solo tres meses.

The composer finished the orchestral suite in only three months.

Nuestra empresa utiliza una suite de software para gestionar todos los datos.

Our company uses a software suite to manage all the data.

Context Clues

When you see 'suite' used outside of a travel context, it almost always means a group of related things that work together, like computer programs or musical movements.

Colección vs. Grupo

Learners often confuse 'colección' and 'grupo'. Remember that 'colección' implies items gathered with intent and often for display or preservation, like a stamp collection. 'Grupo' is more general and can refer to any collection of things or people without that specific intent.

Related Translations

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