Inklingo

How to Say "secretary" in Spanish

English → Spanish

asistente

/ah-sees-TEN-teh//a.sisˈten.te/

nounA2general
Use 'asistente' in many Latin American countries when referring to a personal assistant or someone who provides general support, especially in a more personal or executive capacity.
A colorful storybook illustration showing a professional assistant, smiling, handing a blue folder to another person seated at a large wooden desk.

Examples

Mi asistente me ayuda a organizar todas las reuniones.

My assistant helps me organize all the meetings.

La asistente de vuelo nos dio instrucciones de seguridad.

The flight attendant gave us safety instructions.

Contratamos a un nuevo asistente legal la semana pasada.

We hired a new legal assistant last week.

Gender Flexibility

This word works for both men and women. You use 'el' for a male assistant (el asistente) and 'la' for a female assistant (la asistente).

Confusing 'Asistir' meanings

Mistake: “Using 'asistir' to mean 'to assist' in all contexts. While 'asistente' means 'assistant,' the verb 'asistir' usually means 'to attend' or 'to go to' (e.g., asistir a una clase).”

Correction: Use 'ayudar' for 'to help' or 'to assist' when the meaning is purely 'giving aid'.

secretario

/se-kreh-TAH-ryo//sekɾeˈtaɾjo/

nounA2general
Opt for 'secretario' when referring to a traditional office or administrative role, particularly for tasks involving record-keeping, correspondence, and general office management.
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration of a person sitting at a wooden desk, focused on organizing a stack of colorful files and administrative documents.

Examples

El secretario organizó todos los documentos para la reunión de hoy.

The secretary organized all the documents for today's meeting.

Necesitamos hablar con el secretario de la facultad sobre las notas.

We need to speak with the department secretary about the grades.

Gender Change

Since 'secretario' is a person, it changes gender. If the person is a woman, you must say 'la secretaria' (which is a separate entry).

Confusing Roles

Mistake: “Using 'secretario' to mean 'a secret' (el secreto).”

Correction: Remember 'secretario' is the person who keeps the records; 'secreto' is the hidden information itself.

Asistente vs. Secretario

The most common mistake is using 'secretario' in Latin America where 'asistente' is more prevalent for personal or executive support. While 'secretario' is understood, 'asistente' often sounds more natural for these roles in those regions.

Related Translations

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