How to Say "ethics" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “ethics” is “ética” — use 'ética' when referring to the philosophical study of right and wrong or a professional code of conduct..
ética
Examples
La ética médica exige confidencialidad.
Medical ethics requires confidentiality.
principios
/preen-SEE-pee-ohs//pɾinˈθipjos/
Examples
Actúa siempre según sus principios.
He always acts according to his principles.
Es un hombre de firmes principios.
He is a man of firm principles.
Su decisión va en contra de todos mis principios.
Their decision goes against all my values.
Debemos aprender los principios básicos de la programación.
We must learn the basic fundamentals of programming.
Always Plural for Ethics
When talking about a person’s moral code or values, 'principios' is almost always used in the plural form.
Confusing Singular and Plural Meanings
Mistake: “El principio de la física. (Using singular when referring to multiple fundamentals.)”
Correction: Los principios de la física. (Use plural when referring to the established rules of a system.)
moral
moh-RAHL/moˈɾal/
Examples
La moral de esta historia es la importancia de la amistad.
The moral of this story is the importance of friendship.
La moral de la fábula es que la honestidad es la mejor política.
The moral of the fable is that honesty is the best policy.
Estudiamos la moral y las costumbres de esa época.
We studied the morality and customs of that era.
Abstract Noun
When referring to the general concept of right and wrong (morality), 'moral' acts as a feminine noun ('la moral').
Confusing the core meaning
Related Translations
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