Inklingo

How to Say "engineer" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “engineer” is “ingeniero” — use 'ingeniero' when referring to someone who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or structures, or who works in a branch of engineering like civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering..

English → Spanish

ingeniero

/in-kheh-NYEH-roh//inxeˈnjeɾo/

nounA2profession
Use 'ingeniero' when referring to someone who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or structures, or who works in a branch of engineering like civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering.
A friendly man dressed as an engineer wearing a hard hat and holding blueprints, smiling next to a complex machine.

Examples

Mi hermano es ingeniero civil y diseña puentes.

My brother is a civil engineer and designs bridges.

Necesitamos un ingeniero de software para solucionar este problema de código.

We need a software engineer to solve this code problem.

La junta directiva contrató un ingeniero estructural de renombre para supervisar el proyecto.

The board of directors hired a renowned structural engineer to oversee the project.

Gender and Profession

Since 'ingeniero' ends in 'o,' it is the masculine form. If you are talking about a woman, you must change the ending to 'a': 'ingeniera'.

Using the wrong article

Mistake: “La ingeniero es inteligente.”

Correction: El ingeniero es inteligente. (Use the masculine article 'el' for the masculine noun 'ingeniero'.)

mecánico

nounA1technical field
Use 'mecánico' when referring specifically to a tradesperson who repairs and maintains machinery, especially vehicles.

Examples

Mi coche se averió y tuve que llamar a un mecánico.

My car broke down and I had to call a mechanic.

Confusing 'ingeniero' with 'mecánico'

The most common mistake is using 'mecánico' for any type of engineer. Remember that 'ingeniero' is the general term for the profession, while 'mecánico' is a specific job title for someone who fixes things, particularly cars. You wouldn't call a bridge designer a 'mecánico'.

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