How to Say "savings" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “savings” is “ahorro” — use 'ahorro' when referring to money that you have put aside, typically in a bank or for a specific future goal.
Use 'ahorro' when referring to money that you have put aside, typically in a bank or for a specific future goal.
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Use 'fondos' when talking about money that has been gathered or is being raised for a specific purpose or project.
Learn more →Use 'economía' (often plural, 'las economías') to describe the act of saving money by being thrifty or by making smart financial choices.
Learn more →ah-OH-rrohaˈo.ro
Examples
He puesto todo mi ahorro en una cuenta del banco.
I have put all my savings into a bank account.
Para comprar una casa, necesitas tener un buen ahorro previo.
To buy a house, you need to have a good amount of savings beforehand.
Ese descuento supuso un ahorro de cincuenta euros.
That discount meant a saving of fifty euros.
Singular vs. Plural
You can use 'ahorro' (singular) or 'ahorros' (plural) to talk about your saved money. 'Ahorros' is much more common when referring to your total bank balance or money you've kept over a long time.
Connecting with 'de'
When you want to say what you are saving, just add 'de' followed by the item: 'ahorro de dinero' (saving of money).
Saving a person vs. Saving money
Mistake: “Using 'salvación' for money.”
Correction: Use 'ahorro' for money or resources. Use 'salvación' only for rescuing someone from danger.
FOHN-dohsˈfondos
Examples
Necesitamos recaudar fondos para el viaje escolar.
We need to raise funds for the school trip.
El banco aprobó los fondos para la nueva casa.
The bank approved the funds for the new house.
No tenemos fondos suficientes para pagar esto.
We don't have enough money to pay for this.
Always Plural for Money
When talking about money or financial resources, 'fondos' is always used in its plural form, even if you are referring to the general concept of money.
Using the Singular
Mistake: “Necesito fondo para el proyecto.”
Correction: Necesito fondos para el proyecto. (The singular 'fondo' usually means 'bottom' or 'background', not 'money'.)
economía
Examples
Hizo una gran economía al comprar la ropa de segunda mano.
She made a great saving/showed great thrift by buying the second-hand clothes.
Ahorro vs. Economía
Learners often confuse 'ahorro' and 'economía'. Remember that 'ahorro' is the money saved, while 'economía' is the act of saving money through careful spending or thrift.
Related Translations
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