Inklingo

How to Say "suspects" in Spanish

English → Spanish

sospechosos

soh-speh-CHOH-sohs/sospeˈtʃosos/

nounB2general
Use 'sospechosos' when referring to people who are believed to have committed a crime or are under suspicion.
Two individuals standing side-by-side against a plain wall, looking uncomfortable and nervous, representing people being identified as suspects.

Examples

La policía identificó a tres sospechosos en el robo.

The police identified three suspects in the robbery.

Los sospechosos fueron interrogados durante horas.

The suspects were interrogated for hours.

Uno de los sospechosos resultó ser inocente.

One of the suspects turned out to be innocent.

Adjective as Noun

In Spanish, many adjectives can easily become nouns, especially when referring to people. Here, 'sospechosos' (the suspicious ones) becomes a specific noun for people in a criminal context.

teme

/teh-meh//ˈt̪e.me/

verbB2general
Use 'teme' (the third-person singular present tense of 'temer') when you want to express that someone suspects something bad might be true or is afraid of a particular outcome.
A person with a worried expression is carefully examining a closed wooden box that has a small crack, indicating suspicion about its contents.

Examples

El director teme que la empresa no cumpla los objetivos este trimestre.

The director suspects the company won't meet its goals this quarter.

La comunidad teme que el nuevo proyecto dañe el ecosistema local.

The community worries that the new project will damage the local ecosystem.

Formal Worry

In this context, 'teme' means 'is seriously worried' or 'suspects with concern,' often used when discussing politics, business, or serious news.

Noun vs. Verb Confusion

The most common error is using the noun 'sospechosos' when the English word 'suspects' is actually a verb, or vice-versa. Remember that 'sospechosos' always refers to people, while 'teme' describes a feeling or suspicion about a situation.

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