How to Say "unintentional" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “unintentional” is “accidental” — use 'accidental' when the unintentional event is due to chance, coincidence, or a random occurrence, rather than a deliberate action..
accidental
/ahk-see-den-TAHL//aksiðenˈtal/
Examples
Fue un encuentro accidental en la calle.
It was an accidental meeting in the street.
La policía dice que el incendio fue accidental.
The police say the fire was accidental.
Esos detalles son accidentales y no afectan el plan final.
Those details are incidental and do not affect the final plan.
One Form for Both Genders
Words ending in '-al' like 'accidental' stay the same whether you are describing a masculine or feminine thing. You can say 'un golpe accidental' or 'una caída accidental'.
Placement After the Noun
In Spanish, 'accidental' usually comes after the person or thing it describes to distinguish it from other types of events.
Don't use it for 'by accident'
Mistake: “Lo hice accidental.”
Correction: Lo hice sin querer OR lo hice de forma accidental.
involuntario
/een-bo-loon-tah-ryo//imbolunˈtaɾjo/
Examples
Fue un error involuntario, no quería lastimarte.
It was an unintentional mistake, I didn't want to hurt you.
La respiración es un proceso involuntario del cuerpo.
Breathing is an involuntary process of the body.
El testigo tuvo un gesto involuntario de miedo.
The witness had an involuntary gesture of fear.
Matching Gender and Number
Since this word describes things, it must change to match the object: use 'involuntario' for masculine things, 'involuntaria' for feminine, and add an 's' for plural.
Word Order
In Spanish, 'involuntario' almost always comes AFTER the word it is describing, like 'error involuntario' (mistake unintentional).
Using 'sin querer' as a description
Mistake: “Un error sin querer.”
Correction: Un error involuntario.
Accidental vs. Involuntario
Related Translations
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