How to Say "motivation" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “motivation” is “motivación” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Mi principal motivación para estudiar es viajar a México.
My main motivation for studying is traveling to Mexico.
El equipo perdió la motivación después de perder el partido.
The team lost their motivation after losing the game.
La empresa ofrece bonos como motivación para los empleados.
The company offers bonuses as an incentive for the employees.
The '-ción' Rule
Almost every Spanish word that ends in '-ción' is feminine. This means you should always use 'la' or 'una' with 'motivación'.
Using 'Mucho' vs 'Muy'
Since 'motivación' is a noun (a thing), you use 'mucha' to say 'a lot of.' Don't use 'muy,' which is only for adjectives like 'motivated'.
Gender Error
Mistake: “El motivación es importante.”
Correction: La motivación es importante. (Words ending in -ción are feminine).
Adjective Confusion
Mistake: “Estoy motivación.”
Correction: Estoy motivado (masculine) or motivada (feminine). Use the noun for the 'thing' and the adjective for how you 'feel'.
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.