How to Say "commercial" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “commercial” is “comercial” — use this when describing something as related to trade or business in a general sense, often referring to a place or activity.
comercial
koh-mer-syalkomeɾˈsjal
Examples
La calle principal es la zona comercial de la ciudad.
The main street is the commercial area of the city.
Necesitamos un acuerdo comercial con ese país.
We need a trade agreement with that country.
¡Qué aburrido! Hay demasiados comerciales en la televisión.
How boring! There are too many commercials on television.
El comercial de ese coche es muy pegadizo.
The ad for that car is very catchy.
Always the Same
Unlike many Spanish adjectives, 'comercial' doesn't change based on whether the thing it describes is masculine or feminine (e.g., banco comercial and zona comercial).
Short Form
This is a shortcut for the longer phrase anuncio comercial (commercial announcement). Because anuncio is masculine, the short form comercial is also masculine (el comercial).
comercial
Examples
¡Qué aburrido! Hay demasiados comerciales en la televisión.
How boring! There are too many commercials on television.
mercantil
mer-kan-TEELmerkanˈtil
Examples
Necesitamos un abogado experto en derecho mercantil.
We need a lawyer who is an expert in commercial law.
El registro mercantil guarda toda la información de las empresas.
The commercial registry keeps all the information about companies.
Las rutas mercantiles eran fundamentales para el desarrollo de la ciudad.
The mercantile routes were fundamental for the city's development.
One Form for All
This word doesn't change based on gender. You can use 'mercantil' for both masculine words like 'el contrato' and feminine words like 'la ley'.
Word Order
Just like most descriptions in Spanish, this word almost always comes after the thing it is describing (e.g., 'derecho mercantil').
Don't make it feminine
Mistake: “La ley mercantila.”
Correction: La ley mercantil. Because the word ends in 'l', it stays the same for both masculine and feminine descriptions.
propaganda
pro-pah-GAHN-dahpɾopaˈɡanda
Examples
Vi una propaganda muy buena sobre ese perfume.
I saw a very good advertisement for that perfume.
Hay demasiada propaganda durante el partido de fútbol.
There are too many commercials during the soccer game.
Me dieron una propaganda de la nueva pizzería en la calle.
They gave me a flyer (advertisement) for the new pizzeria on the street.
Gender of the word
This word is feminine, so you should always use feminine words with it, like 'la propaganda' or 'mucha propaganda'.
The 'False Friend' trap
Mistake: “Thinking 'propaganda' only means political brainwashing.”
Correction: In Spanish, especially in Latin America, it is the standard word for any commercial or TV ad. Don't be afraid to use it for simple things like pizza ads!
comerciales
koh-mer-SYAH-lesko.meɾˈsja.les
Examples
Ellos firmaron acuerdos comerciales muy importantes.
They signed very important commercial agreements.
Las relaciones comerciales entre ambos países mejoraron.
The trade relations between both countries improved.
Necesitamos más espacios comerciales en esta área.
We need more commercial spaces in this area.
Adjective Agreement
As an adjective, 'comerciales' must match the noun it describes in number (plural) and gender (masculine or feminine). Since it ends in -e, the form stays the same for both genders (e.g., 'acuerdos comerciales' and 'relaciones comerciales').
Adjective vs. Noun 'Comercial'
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.