How to Say "to affect" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to affect” is “influir” — use this when one thing has the power to change the outcome or course of another, often in a less direct way.
influir
een-floo-EERin.fluˈir
Examples
El clima puede influir en mis planes para el fin de semana.
The weather can influence my plans for the weekend.
Sus palabras influyeron mucho en mi decisión.
Her words influenced my decision a lot.
Varios factores influyeron en el resultado de las elecciones.
Several factors affected the outcome of the elections.
Always Use 'En'
In English, you influence something. In Spanish, you always influence IN something. Always put 'en' after the verb.
The 'Y' Rule
When you have the letter 'i' between two vowels, it turns into a 'y'. That's why we say 'influyo' and 'influyendo' instead of using an 'i'.
Missing the 'En'
Mistake: “No quiero influir tu decisión.”
Correction: No quiero influir en tu decisión. (Spanish requires 'en' to connect the action to the thing being affected.)
impactar
eem-pahk-TAHRim.pakˈtaɾ
Examples
La nueva ley impactará la economía local.
The new law will impact the local economy.
El cambio climático está impactando los glaciares.
Climate change is affecting the glaciers.
Estos cambios no deberían impactar tu salario.
These changes shouldn't impact your salary.
Direct Impact
Unlike English where we often say 'impact on', in Spanish, we usually impact something directly: 'impactar la economía' (no 'en' required).
Using 'en' incorrectly
Mistake: “Esto va a impactar en la decisión.”
Correction: Esto va a impactar la decisión. Though some people use 'en', it is cleaner and more standard to use the object directly.
condicionar
kon-dee-syoh-NARkondisjoˈnaɾ
Examples
El mal tiempo condicionó el éxito del evento.
The bad weather influenced the success of the event.
Nuestra educación suele condicionar nuestra forma de pensar.
Our education often shapes our way of thinking.
La falta de presupuesto condicionará las futuras contrataciones.
The lack of budget will limit future hiring.
Using the word as a filter
Think of this word as describing a 'filter' or a 'limit'. When one thing 'condiciona' another, it acts like a boundary that forces the second thing to go in a certain direction.
The 'By' Connection
When you want to say something is influenced 'by' something else, use 'por': 'Está condicionado por el dinero' (It is influenced by money).
Don't use 'en'
Mistake: “La lluvia condiciona en el tráfico.”
Correction: La lluvia condiciona el tráfico. You don't need 'en' (in); the verb acts directly on the object.
incidir
een-see-DEERinsiˈðiɾ
Examples
Las nuevas leyes van a incidir en el precio de la vivienda.
The new laws are going to impact housing prices.
El clima puede incidir negativamente en la cosecha de este año.
The weather can negatively influence this year's harvest.
Factores externos incidieron en la decisión del comité.
External factors influenced the committee's decision.
The 'en' connection
This verb almost always needs the word 'en' (in/on) after it to show what is being impacted. You don't just 'incidir something', you 'incidir EN something'.
Using 'a' instead of 'en'
Mistake: “Esto va a incidir a mi trabajo.”
Correction: Esto va a incidir EN mi trabajo. (Think of it as 'falling into' or 'landing on' a topic).
impresionar
eem-preh-syoh-nahrimpɾesjoˈnaɾ
Examples
La noticia del accidente nos impresionó a todos.
The news of the accident shocked all of us.
Me impresionó ver la ciudad tan vacía.
It shocked/affected me to see the city so empty.
Affect vs. Influence vs. Impact
Related Translations
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