How to Say "latent" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “latent” is “potencial” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
English → SpanishB1
adjectiveB1
existing but not yet active

Examples
Existe un riesgo potencial de inundación en la zona baja.
There is a potential risk of flooding in the low area.
Necesitamos identificar a los clientes potenciales.
We need to identify the potential clients.
Always Ends in -al
The adjective 'potencial' is special because it works for both masculine and feminine nouns, and it always ends in '-al' (e.g., el riesgo potencial, la amenaza potencial).
Don't Change the Ending for Gender
Mistake: “La amenaza potenciala.”
Correction: La amenaza potencial. (The ending does not change to match the feminine noun.)
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.