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How to Say "stress" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “stress” is “estrés” — use 'estrés' for the feeling of mental or emotional strain caused by difficult circumstances, similar to the English word 'stress'..

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estrés

nounA2general
Use 'estrés' for the feeling of mental or emotional strain caused by difficult circumstances, similar to the English word 'stress'.

Examples

El trabajo me causa mucho estrés.

Work causes me a lot of stress.

presión

nounA2general
Use 'presión' when referring to a mental burden or the feeling of being under pressure to perform or achieve something.

Examples

Siento mucha presión por parte de mis padres para que me gradúe.

I feel a lot of pressure from my parents to graduate.

tensión

nounB1general
Use 'tensión' for psychological pressure that manifests as a feeling of unease or nervousness, often in anticipation of an event.

Examples

La tensión antes del examen era palpable.

The tension before the exam was palpable.

acento

ah-SEN-toh/aˈsento/

nounA2general
Use 'acento' specifically when referring to the emphasis placed on a particular syllable in spoken language, not for mental stress.
A colorful illustration showing two cartoon characters, one from a tropical region and one from a snowy region, speaking to each other. Their speech is depicted with distinct, colorful sound waves to symbolize different accents.

Examples

El acento del Caribe es muy distintivo.

The Caribbean accent is very distinctive.

Ella tiene un acento muy fuerte de Andalucía.

She has a very strong accent from Andalusia.

Al principio no entendía su acento, pero ya me acostumbré.

At first I didn't understand his accent, but I've gotten used to it now.

El presentador habla con un acento neutro.

The presenter speaks with a neutral accent.

Using 'Tener' with Accent

To say someone has an accent, use the verb 'tener' (to have): 'Tengo acento inglés' (I have an English accent).

Possessive Accents

Mistake: “Saying 'Mi acento' instead of describing the accent.”

Correction: While you can say 'mi acento', it's much more common and natural to specify the type: 'acento español', 'acento colombiano', etc.

Confusing mental stress with pronunciation

The most common mistake is using 'acento' (accent) when you mean 'estrés' (stress). Remember, 'acento' is only about the sound and emphasis of words, not about feeling overwhelmed or pressured.

Related Translations

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