Inklingo

How to Say "correspondence" in Spanish

English → Spanish

cartas

/kar-tas//ˈkaɾtas/

nounA1general
Use 'cartas' when referring to the physical letters exchanged between people as part of a written communication.
A neat stack of three sealed white envelopes with colorful stamps, suggesting written correspondence.

Examples

Ella guarda todas las cartas de su abuela en una caja.

She keeps all her grandmother's letters in a box.

¿Cuántas cartas recibiste hoy en el buzón?

How many letters did you receive in the mailbox today?

Necesito enviar estas cartas por correo urgente.

I need to send these letters by express mail.

Plural Noun Rule

Since 'carta' (letter) ends in a vowel, you make it plural simply by adding an '-s' at the end: carta → cartas.

correo

/koh-RREH-oh//koˈreo/

nounA1general
Use 'correo' when referring to the mail system or a collection of letters that have been delivered or are about to be delivered.
A stack of colorful letters and a small brown package tied with twine, representing physical mail.

Examples

El cartero trae el correo a las diez de la mañana.

The mailman brings the mail at ten in the morning.

Tengo que firmar para recibir este correo certificado.

I have to sign to receive this registered mail.

Using Plural for Quantity

Mistake: “Muchos correos”

Correction: Mucho correo. The word 'correo' often acts like a mass noun (like 'water' or 'sand') when referring to the general delivery, even if it contains many letters.

Letters vs. Mail

The most common mistake is using 'cartas' when you mean the general delivery of mail. Remember, 'cartas' refers to individual letters, while 'correo' refers to the mail in general or the postal service.

Related Translations

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