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How to Say "explosive" in Spanish

English → Spanish

explosivo

/ex-plo-SEE-bo//eksploˈsiβo/

adjectiveA2general
Use this when describing something that has the inherent quality of being able to explode or cause an explosion.
A wooden crate with a lit fuse sparking, about to burst.

Examples

Ten cuidado, ese gas es muy explosivo.

Be careful, that gas is very explosive.

Él tiene un carácter explosivo cuando está estresado.

He has a volatile temper when he is stressed.

La ciudad tuvo un crecimiento explosivo en diez años.

The city had sudden, rapid growth in ten years.

La policía buscó un posible explosivo en el maletín.

The police searched for a possible explosive in the briefcase.

Matching the word it describes

Remember to change the ending to 'explosiva' if the person or thing you are describing is feminine, like 'una situación explosiva'.

Explosivo vs. Explotar

Mistake: “Using 'explosivo' when you mean the action of blowing up.”

Correction: Use 'explosivo' to describe a quality. Use the verb 'explotar' for the action itself.

explosivo

nounB1general
Use this to refer to a specific substance or device designed to cause an explosion, like a bomb or blasting agent.

Examples

La policía buscó un posible explosivo en el maletín.

The police searched for a possible explosive in the briefcase.

dinamita

/dee-nah-MEE-tah//dinaˈmita/

nounB1general
Use this specifically when referring to dynamite, a particular type of powerful blasting material used for demolition or mining.
A bundle of red dynamite sticks with a lit fuse on a simple background.

Examples

Los obreros usaron dinamita para abrir el túnel en la montaña.

The workers used dynamite to open the tunnel in the mountain.

Alfred Nobel fue el inventor de la dinamita.

Alfred Nobel was the inventor of dynamite.

Gender of Dinamita

This word is feminine, so always use 'la' or 'una' with it, even though it ends in 'a' like many other feminine nouns.

Noun vs. Verb

Mistake: “Using 'dinamita' as an action (to blow up).”

Correction: Use the verb 'dinamitar' for the action. 'Dinamita' is only the name of the object.

Adjective vs. Noun

The most common mistake is using 'explosivo' as an adjective when you mean a noun (a thing that explodes), or vice-versa. Remember that 'explosivo' can be both, but 'dinamita' is only used for the specific substance dynamite.

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