How to Say "watchword" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “watchword” is “lema” — use 'lema' when referring to a motto, slogan, or guiding principle that represents the core belief or aim of a person or group..
lema
/LEH-mah//ˈlema/
Examples
El lema de nuestra empresa es la satisfacción del cliente.
Our company's watchword is customer satisfaction.
El lema de la Revolución Francesa era 'Libertad, Igualdad y Fraternidad'.
The motto of the French Revolution was 'Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity'.
La empresa cambió su lema para atraer a clientes más jóvenes.
The company changed its slogan to attract younger customers.
Nuestro lema familiar es 'siempre adelante'.
Our family motto is 'always forward'.
The 'Ma' Word Rule
Even though 'lema' ends in an 'a', it is masculine. You must say 'el lema' and 'los lemas'. This is common for Spanish words that come from Greek.
Adjective Agreement
Because the word is masculine, any describing words must also be masculine: 'un lema corto' (a short motto), not 'una lema corta'.
Using 'La' instead of 'El'
Mistake: “La lema es muy pegadizo.”
Correction: El lema es muy pegadizo. Why? Words ending in -ma like lema, problema, and sistema are almost always masculine.
contraseña
Examples
El guardia pidió la contraseña antes de dejar pasar al vehículo.
The guard asked for the watchword before letting the vehicle pass.
Lema vs. Contraseña
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