How to Say "suspense" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “suspense” is “suspenso” — use 'suspenso' when referring to the general feeling of excitement or tension created by a situation, especially in entertainment like movies or books..
suspenso
/soo-SPEN-so//susˈpenso/
Examples
La película de terror mantuvo a todos en vilo con mucho suspenso.
The horror movie kept everyone on edge with a lot of suspense.
La película tiene mucho suspenso.
The movie has a lot of suspense.
No me mantengas más en suspenso, dime la verdad.
Don't keep me in suspense any longer, tell me the truth.
El director es un maestro del suspenso.
The director is a master of suspense.
Using 'en suspenso'
When you want to say something is 'on hold' or 'pending', use the phrase 'en suspenso'.
Suspenso vs. Suspense
Mistake: “Using 'el suspense' in all Spanish-speaking countries.”
Correction: While 'suspense' is used in Spain, 'suspenso' is the preferred standard term across Latin America.
intriga
/een-TREE-gah//inˈtɾiɣa/
Examples
El giro inesperado en la trama creó una gran intriga.
The unexpected twist in the plot created great intrigue.
La película está llena de intriga de principio a fin.
The movie is full of mystery from beginning to end.
Me muero de la intriga por saber qué hay en la caja.
I'm dying of curiosity to know what's in the box.
Descubrieron una intriga política para ganar las elecciones.
They discovered a political plot to win the elections.
Always Feminine
Even though it ends in 'a', which is common for feminine words, remember to always use 'la' or 'una' with it.
The 'Curiosity' Connection
In English, 'intrigue' often sounds formal or related to spies, but in Spanish, 'tener intriga' is a very common way to simply say you are very curious about something.
Using 'el' instead of 'la'
Mistake: “El intriga de la historia es genial.”
Correction: La intriga de la historia es genial. (The word is feminine).
incertidumbre
/in-ser-tee-DOOM-breh//inseɾtiˈðumbɾe/
Examples
Existe una gran incertidumbre sobre si la empresa será rentable.
There is great uncertainty about whether the company will be profitable.
Hay mucha incertidumbre sobre el resultado del partido.
There is a lot of uncertainty about the game's result.
La incertidumbre económica preocupa a las familias.
Economic uncertainty worries families.
Afrontamos el futuro con optimismo a pesar de la incertidumbre.
We face the future with optimism despite the uncertainty.
Always Feminine
This word is feminine, so you should always use 'la' or 'una' with it. Remember that most words ending in '-umbre' follow this pattern.
A Word for Feelings and Situations
You can use this word both for a personal feeling of not knowing and for a general situation (like the economy or weather) that is unpredictable.
Confusing with 'Mistake'
Mistake: “Cometí una incertidumbre.”
Correction: Cometí un error. 'Incertidumbre' refers to the state of not knowing, not a mistake you made.
Confusing Suspense with Uncertainty
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.