Inklingo

How to Say "psychic" in Spanish

English → Spanish

adivino

ah-dee-BEE-noh/adiˈβino/

nounB1general
Use 'adivino' when referring to a person who claims to be able to tell the future, often through methods like reading cards or palms.
A fortune teller wearing a colorful turban looking into a glowing glass sphere.

Examples

El adivino leyó las cartas del tarot para ver mi futuro.

The fortune teller read the tarot cards to see my future.

No soy un adivino, así que no sé qué pasará mañana.

I am not a psychic, so I don't know what will happen tomorrow.

El rey consultó al adivino antes de la batalla.

The king consulted the seer before the battle.

Gender and People

This word ends in 'o' for men. If you are talking about a woman who tells fortunes, change the 'o' to 'a' to make it 'adivina'.

Using 'un' vs 'el'

Use 'un adivino' when talking about any psychic in general, and 'el adivino' when referring to a specific one you've already mentioned.

Mistaking for a verb

Mistake:Yo soy adivino el futuro.

Correction: Yo adivino el futuro (I guess the future) or Yo soy adivino (I am a fortune teller).

psíquico

nounB1general
Use 'psíquico' when referring to a person who claims to have supernatural mental powers, such as telepathy or clairvoyance.

Examples

El psíquico dice que puede hablar con los animales.

The psychic says he can talk to animals.

psíquico

adjectiveB2general
Use 'psíquico' as an adjective to describe anything related to the mind, spirit, or soul, as opposed to the physical.

Examples

El bienestar psíquico es tan importante como el físico.

Mental well-being is as important as physical well-being.

Ad initio vs. Psíquico

Learners often confuse 'adivino' and 'psíquico' when referring to a person. Remember, 'adivino' specifically means fortune-teller, while 'psíquico' refers to someone with supernatural mental abilities. If someone claims to read minds, use 'psíquico'; if they read palms or cards for the future, use 'adivino'.

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