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How to Say "prospect" in Spanish

English → Spanish

expectativa

eks-pek-ta-TEE-bahekspektaˈtiβa

nounB1general
Use 'expectativa' when referring to your personal hopes, anticipations, or what you believe is likely to happen in the future regarding a specific event or situation.
A child looking up at the sky with a hopeful expression, waiting for a falling star.

Examples

Tengo muchas expectativas para mi nuevo trabajo.

I have high expectations for my new job.

La película no cumplió con mis expectativas.

The movie didn't meet my expectations.

La expectativa de vida ha aumentado en las últimas décadas.

Life expectancy has increased in recent decades.

Always Feminine

Even though it ends in 'a', it's good to remember it's always 'la expectativa' or 'las expectativas'. It never changes gender.

Plural for Standards

When talking about your personal standards or what you hope from someone, we almost always use the plural form: 'mis expectativas'.

Don't say 'Expectación'

Mistake: “Había mucha expectativa por el concierto.”

Correction: Había mucha expectación por el concierto.

posibilidad

poh-see-bee-lee-DAHDposiβiliˈðað

nounA2general
Use 'posibilidad' when discussing the mere chance or potential for something to occur, without necessarily implying personal hope or strong anticipation.
A tiny brown seed rests in dark, rich soil. Directly above the seed, a faint, glowing outline of a large, fully grown green tree symbolizes the potential held within.

Examples

¿Hay alguna posibilidad de que vengas mañana?

Is there any possibility that you will come tomorrow?

Exploramos todas las posibilidades antes de decidir la ruta.

We explored all the possibilities before deciding the route.

La posibilidad de que gane la lotería es remota, pero existe.

The chance that I win the lottery is remote, but it exists.

Using 'de'

Use the small word 'de' (of) to connect 'posibilidad' to the action or thing being discussed: 'la posibilidad de viajar' (the possibility of traveling).

Feminine Noun Rule

Remember that almost all Spanish words ending in -dad, like 'posibilidad,' are feminine and take the article 'la' or 'una'.

Gender Error

Mistake: “El posibilidad de ir...”

Correction: La posibilidad de ir... 'Posibilidad' is always feminine.

Subjunctive Following Uncertainty

Mistake: “Hay una posibilidad que llueve.”

Correction: Hay una posibilidad de que llueva. When expressing possibility or uncertainty, the following verb often uses a special form (the subjunctive, used here as 'llueva').

Expectativa vs. Posibilidad

Don't confuse 'expectativa' (personal hopes/anticipation) with 'posibilidad' (general chance/potential). While a possibility might create an expectation, 'expectativa' is more about your internal feeling of what's likely to happen.

Related Translations

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