How to Say "general" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “general” is “general” — use 'general' as an adjective when you mean 'overall' or 'not specific' in a broad sense, often referring to an idea or situation.
general
kheh-neh-RAHLxe.neˈɾal
Examples
La idea general es buena, pero los detalles son complicados.
The general idea is good, but the details are complicated.
En general, me gusta la comida española.
In general, I like Spanish food.
Hay una preocupación general por el cambio climático.
There is a widespread concern about climate change.
El general dio la orden de avanzar.
The general gave the order to advance.
One Form for Masculine & Feminine
Unlike many Spanish adjectives, 'general' doesn't change its ending for masculine or feminine things. It's 'el problema general' (a masculine thing) and 'la idea general' (a feminine thing).
Making it Plural
To talk about more than one thing, just add '-es' to the end: 'los problemas generales' or 'las ideas generales'.
Gender for People
To talk about a general, the word itself doesn't change, but the little word before it does: 'el general' for a man and 'la general' for a woman.
Trying to Make it Feminine
Mistake: “La idea generala es buena.”
Correction: La idea general es buena. Remember, the word 'general' stays the same whether the thing it describes is masculine or feminine.
The 'Generala' Confusion
Mistake: “La esposa del general es la generala.”
Correction: This isn't exactly a mistake, but it's old-fashioned. 'La generala' used to mean 'the general's wife'. Today, for a woman who is a general, 'la general' is the most common and recommended term, though some people might also say 'la generala'.
general
kheh-neh-RAHLxe.neˈɾal
Examples
El general dio la orden de avanzar.
The general gave the order to advance.
La idea general es buena, pero los detalles son complicados.
The general idea is good, but the details are complicated.
En general, me gusta la comida española.
In general, I like Spanish food.
Hay una preocupación general por el cambio climático.
There is a widespread concern about climate change.
One Form for Masculine & Feminine
Unlike many Spanish adjectives, 'general' doesn't change its ending for masculine or feminine things. It's 'el problema general' (a masculine thing) and 'la idea general' (a feminine thing).
Making it Plural
To talk about more than one thing, just add '-es' to the end: 'los problemas generales' or 'las ideas generales'.
Gender for People
To talk about a general, the word itself doesn't change, but the little word before it does: 'el general' for a man and 'la general' for a woman.
Trying to Make it Feminine
Mistake: “La idea generala es buena.”
Correction: La idea general es buena. Remember, the word 'general' stays the same whether the thing it describes is masculine or feminine.
The 'Generala' Confusion
Mistake: “La esposa del general es la generala.”
Correction: This isn't exactly a mistake, but it's old-fashioned. 'La generala' used to mean 'the general's wife'. Today, for a woman who is a general, 'la general' is the most common and recommended term, though some people might also say 'la generala'.
generales
hen-eh-RAH-lehsxe.neˈɾa.les
Examples
Hay reglas generales para todos los estudiantes.
There are general rules for all students.
Llegamos a unos acuerdos generales durante la reunión.
We reached some general agreements during the meeting.
En líneas generales, el proyecto va muy bien.
Broadly speaking, the project is going very well.
Making it plural
When a word ends in a consonant like 'l', you add '-es' to make it plural. So, 'general' becomes 'generales' when describing more than one thing.
One word for both genders
This word doesn't change based on gender. You use 'generales' for both masculine groups (los libros generales) and feminine groups (las ideas generales).
The English 's' trap
Mistake: “los generals”
Correction: los generales
genérico
Examples
Usó un término genérico para referirse a todas las frutas.
He used a generic term to refer to all fruits.
global
glo-BALɡloˈβal
Examples
Hicimos un análisis global de la situación de la empresa.
We conducted a comprehensive/overall analysis of the company's situation.
Necesitamos una estrategia global para solucionar el déficit.
We need an overall strategy to solve the deficit.
El informe ofrece una visión global de los gastos.
The report offers a complete view of the expenses.
Placement
Like many Spanish adjectives, 'global' usually comes after the noun it describes: 'un análisis global', not 'un global análisis'.
General vs. Genérico vs. Global
Related Translations
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