Inklingo

How to Say "disposition" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “disposition” is “actitud” — use 'actitud' for a general tendency in personality or how someone approaches a situation, often implying a choice or a changeable aspect.

actitud🔊A1

Use 'actitud' for a general tendency in personality or how someone approaches a situation, often implying a choice or a changeable aspect.

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genio🔊A2

Choose 'genio' to describe someone's inherent temperament or character, often referring to their usual mood or how easily they get angry.

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temperamento🔊B1

Use 'temperamento' to describe the natural tendency of a person's emotional state and reaction patterns, similar to 'genio' but often more neutral.

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naturaleza🔊B1

Employ 'naturaleza' when referring to the fundamental, innate qualities of a person's character or the human condition.

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vena🔊B2

Use 'vena' in the plural ('en vena') to describe a temporary inclination or a streak of talent, often in a playful or informal context.

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English → Spanish

actitud

ak-tee-TOODak.tiˈtuð

nounA1general
Use 'actitud' for a general tendency in personality or how someone approaches a situation, often implying a choice or a changeable aspect.
A young child standing tall with shoulders back and a determined, positive smile, illustrating a mental disposition.

Examples

Necesitas cambiar tu actitud si quieres tener éxito en este proyecto.

You need to change your attitude if you want to be successful in this project.

Ella siempre tiene una actitud positiva, incluso en los días difíciles.

She always has a positive attitude, even on difficult days.

La actitud del jefe nos molestó a todos.

The boss's attitude bothered all of us.

Feminine Ending

Even though 'actitud' ends in the letter 'd', it is a feminine noun. Remember to use 'la' or 'una' before it.

Gender Confusion

Mistake: “El actitud”

Correction: La actitud. Most nouns ending in -tud, like 'juventud' (youth) and 'gratitud' (gratitude), are feminine.

genio

HEH-nee-ohˈxe.njo

nounA2general
Choose 'genio' to describe someone's inherent temperament or character, often referring to their usual mood or how easily they get angry.
A cartoonish figure with a bright red face, steam puffing vigorously out of their ears, showing extreme anger.

Examples

Tiene muy mal genio por las mañanas.

He has a very bad temper in the mornings.

Hoy mi jefe está de buen genio, ¡aprovecha!

My boss is in a good mood today, take advantage of it!

No le digas nada, está de mal genio.

Don't tell him anything, he's in a bad temper/mood.

Expressing Mood

When talking about someone's current mood or state, use 'estar de buen/mal genio'. When talking about their permanent personality trait, use 'tener buen/mal genio'.

Confusing 'Ser' and 'Tener'

Mistake: “Using 'Él es mal genio.'”

Correction: Say 'Él tiene mal genio.' (He has a bad temper). 'Ser' is used for permanent qualities, but 'tener' (to have) is used for possessing a temper.

temperamento

tem-peh-rah-MEN-tohtempeɾaˈmento

nounB1general
Use 'temperamento' to describe the natural tendency of a person's emotional state and reaction patterns, similar to 'genio' but often more neutral.
A cheerful girl with a bright smile and a calm boy reading a book, showing their different natural personalities.

Examples

Mi hermano tiene un temperamento muy tranquilo.

My brother has a very calm temperament.

Su temperamento artístico le ayuda a crear obras maravillosas.

Her artistic temperament helps her create wonderful works.

Es difícil trabajar con él debido a su temperamento volátil.

It is difficult to work with him due to his volatile temperament.

Always Masculine

Even if you are describing a woman, the word 'temperamento' stays masculine. You would say 'Ella tiene un temperamento fuerte' (She has a strong temperament).

Used with 'Tener'

In Spanish, we usually say someone 'has' (tener) a temperament rather than 'is' (ser) a temperament. For example: 'Él tiene buen temperamento' (He has a good temperament).

Temperamento vs. Temperatura

Mistake: “Hacer un comentario sobre el 'temperamento' del café.”

Correction: Use 'temperatura' for how hot or cold something is. Use 'temperamento' only for people's personalities.

naturaleza

nah-too-rah-LEH-sahna.tu.ɾaˈle.sa

nounB1general
Employ 'naturaleza' when referring to the fundamental, innate qualities of a person's character or the human condition.
A simple storybook illustration of a bright red apple cut precisely in half, clearly showing the internal white flesh and the small brown seeds in the core.

Examples

La naturaleza humana es complicada.

Human nature is complicated.

Por naturaleza, él es muy tímido.

By nature, he is very shy.

Entender la naturaleza del problema nos ayudó a resolverlo.

Understanding the nature of the problem helped us solve it.

Idiomatic Preposition 'Por'

To express that someone has a quality from birth or inherently, use the preposition 'por': 'Por naturaleza, soy optimista' (By nature, I am an optimist).

Mixing Prepositions

Mistake: “Con naturaleza, ella es tranquila.”

Correction: Por naturaleza, ella es tranquila. ('Por' is the fixed preposition when referring to inherent character.)

vena

nounB2informal
Use 'vena' in the plural ('en vena') to describe a temporary inclination or a streak of talent, often in a playful or informal context.

Examples

Parece que hoy estás con la vena cómica.

It seems you're in a comedic mood (or 'on a funny streak') today.

Actitud vs. Genio/Temperamento

Learners often confuse 'actitud' with 'genio' or 'temperamento'. Remember that 'actitud' refers more to how you approach things or your overall outlook, which can be changed. 'Genio' and 'temperamento' describe more ingrained personality traits and emotional tendencies.

Related Translations

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