Inklingo

How to Say "fulfilled" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “fulfilled” is “cumplió” — use 'cumplió' when referring to the past tense of a person or entity completing an action, such as fulfilling a promise or reaching a specific age..

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cumplió

/koom-plee-OH//kumˈpljo/

verbA2general
Use 'cumplió' when referring to the past tense of a person or entity completing an action, such as fulfilling a promise or reaching a specific age.
A happy child wearing a colorful party hat, sitting in front of a birthday cake with glowing candles.

Examples

El equipo cumplió con todas las expectativas del cliente.

The team fulfilled all the client's expectations.

Ayer mi hermano cumplió veinte años.

Yesterday my brother turned twenty years old.

Ella cumplió su promesa y vino a la fiesta.

She kept her promise and came to the party.

El equipo cumplió el objetivo del mes.

The team met the goal for the month.

The Power of the Accent

The accent on the 'o' (ó) tells you this happened in the past. Without the accent, 'cumplio' isn't a word, and 'cumple' means he or she is doing it right now.

Using 'Be' for Age

Mistake: “Él fue 20 años.”

Correction: Él cumplió 20 años.

cumplido

koom-PLEE-doh/kumˈpliðo/

adjectiveB2general
Use 'cumplido' as an adjective to describe a duty, mission, or promise that has been successfully completed or carried out.
A small, proud character stands next to a perfectly built, tall tower made of colorful wooden blocks, symbolizing a task or duty that has been fulfilled.

Examples

La misión fue cumplida con éxito por el equipo.

The mission was successfully fulfilled by the team.

Necesitas tener dieciocho años cumplidos para obtener la licencia.

You need to be eighteen years old (complete) to get the license.

Toda la documentación está cumplida, podemos seguir adelante.

All the documentation is complete/fulfilled, we can move forward.

Agreement is Key

Since this word acts as an adjective, it must match the noun it describes. For example, 'la promesa cumplida' (feminine singular) or 'los deberes cumplidos' (masculine plural).

realizado

/reh-ah-lee-SAH-doh//rea.liˈθa.ðo/

adjectiveB2general
Use 'realizado' when describing a feeling of personal satisfaction, achievement, or self-realization, often related to one's career or life goals.
A happy person standing on top of a small hill with their arms raised in joy.

Examples

Ella se siente muy realizada en su nueva profesión.

She feels very fulfilled in her new profession.

Es un hombre plenamente realizado.

He is a fully fulfilled man.

Using with 'sentirse'

This meaning is almost always paired with the verb 'sentirse' (to feel) or 'estar' (to be) to describe a state of mind.

satisfecho

sah-tees-FEH-choh/sa.tisˈfe.t͡ʃo/

adjectiveC1formal
Use 'satisfecho' when indicating that a specific requirement, condition, or obligation has been met or satisfied.
Two simplified characters shaking hands across a small table. One character is placing a small, important-looking rolled document onto the table, symbolizing an obligation being met.

Examples

El requisito de la visa fue satisfecho por el solicitante.

The visa requirement was fulfilled by the applicant.

Una vez que el pago esté satisfecho, se enviará la mercancía.

Once the payment is met (paid), the merchandise will be sent.

Formal Usage (Ser)

In this formal sense, 'satisfecho' describes a permanent state of completion (the requirement IS fulfilled), so it often uses the verb 'ser' in passive constructions.

Confusing Duty vs. Personal Satisfaction

Learners often confuse 'cumplido' (duty/promise) with 'realizado' (personal satisfaction). Remember that 'cumplido' refers to external obligations met, while 'realizado' describes an internal feeling of achievement and contentment.

Related Translations

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