How to Say "legislation" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “legislation” is “legislación” — use 'legislación' when referring to the general body of laws in a country or region, or the process by which laws are made.
legislación
Examples
La legislación actual protege los derechos de los trabajadores.
Current legislation protects workers' rights.
leyes
LEY-yesˈle.ʝes
Examples
Debemos obedecer las leyes de tráfico.
We must obey the traffic laws.
El presidente firmó las nuevas leyes ambientales.
The president signed the new environmental legislation.
Las leyes de la física son universales.
The laws of physics are universal.
Feminine Plural
Remember that 'leyes' (laws) is always used with feminine plural words that describe it, like 'las leyes' (the laws) or 'leyes estrictas' (strict laws).
Gender Confusion
Mistake: “Los leyes”
Correction: Las leyes. Even though many words ending in '-es' are masculine, 'ley' (law) is feminine, so its plural form must also be feminine.
ordenamiento
or-deh-nah-myehn-tohoɾdenaˈmjento
Examples
El ordenamiento jurídico garantiza los derechos de todos los ciudadanos.
The legal system guarantees the rights of all citizens.
Es necesario adaptar nuestro ordenamiento a las nuevas tecnologías.
It is necessary to adapt our legal framework to new technologies.
Esta norma no tiene cabida en el ordenamiento actual.
This rule has no place in the current legislation.
Always Masculine
Even though it ends in '-miento,' which is common for nouns describing a process, it is always 'el ordenamiento' and never changes based on what laws it describes.
Collective Meaning
This word usually refers to the whole 'collection' of laws as one single unit, rather than one specific law (which would be 'una ley').
Ordenamiento vs. Orden
Mistake: “El orden jurídico de España.”
Correction: El ordenamiento jurídico de España.
Choosing Between 'Legislación' and 'Leyes'
Related Translations
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