How to Say "mechanism" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “mechanism” is “mecanismo” — use 'mecanismo' when referring to the specific internal parts and their operation within a machine or device, like a clock or an engine..
mecanismo
/meh-kah-NEES-moh//me.ka.ˈnis.mo/
Examples
El mecanismo del reloj es muy delicado.
The watch's mechanism is very delicate.
No entiendo cómo funciona este mecanismo de apertura.
I don't understand how this opening mechanism works.
Always Masculine
This word is always masculine, so you must always use 'el' or 'un' with it, even if you are talking about a feminine machine.
Machine vs. Mechanism
Mistake: “Using 'mecanismo' when you mean the whole machine.”
Correction: Use 'máquina' for the whole object (like a car) and 'mecanismo' for the internal parts that make it move.
aparato
/ah-pah-RAH-toh//a.paˈɾa.to/
Examples
El médico estudió el aparato respiratorio del paciente.
The doctor studied the patient's respiratory system.
La burocracia es parte del aparato administrativo del gobierno.
Bureaucracy is part of the government's administrative apparatus.
El aparato de la cámara es muy complejo.
The camera's mechanism (internal workings) is very complex.
Body Parts and Articles
When talking about body systems, Spanish usually uses the definite article 'el' (the) instead of possessives (my/your): 'el aparato digestivo' (the digestive system), not 'mi aparato digestivo'.
Confusing Machine Parts with Biological Systems
Related Translations
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