Inklingo

How to Say "whole" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “whole” is “todo” — use 'todo' when referring to a complete duration of time, like 'the whole day' or 'all year'. It can also mean 'all' or 'every' when referring to plural nouns..

todo🔊A1

Use 'todo' when referring to a complete duration of time, like 'the whole day' or 'all year'. It can also mean 'all' or 'every' when referring to plural nouns.

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entera🔊A1

Use 'entera' when referring to something that is complete and undivided, meaning the entirety of a single item, like 'the whole pizza' or 'the whole book'.

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completa🔊A1

Use 'completa' when emphasizing that something is finished, full, or has all its parts, often used with abstract concepts like information or a list.

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total🔊B1

Use 'total' when referring to the entire quantity or sum of something, especially in a financial or numerical context.

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sana🔊A2

Use 'sana' when describing something that is undamaged, healthy, or intact, often applied to physical objects like fruit or people's health.

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English → Spanish

todo

/TOH-doh//ˈto.ðo/

adjectiveA1general
Use 'todo' when referring to a complete duration of time, like 'the whole day' or 'all year'. It can also mean 'all' or 'every' when referring to plural nouns.
A close-up of a clear glass marble reflecting an entire bustling city, symbolizing the concept of 'everything' contained within one object.

Examples

Pasé todo el día en la playa.

I spent the whole day at the beach.

Leo todos los días.

I read every day.

Toda la familia fue a la playa.

The whole family went to the beach.

Limpié toda la casa.

I cleaned the whole house.

Matching the Noun

Todo changes to match the thing you're talking about. Use todo for masculine singular things (todo el día), toda for feminine (toda la noche), todos for masculine plural (todos los libros), and todas for feminine plural (todas las mesas).

The 'the' Rule

Unlike in English, you almost always need to put 'the' (el, la, los, las) or a possessive (mi, tu) between todo and the noun. Think of it as 'all of the...'

Forgetting 'the'

Mistake: “Hablo con mis amigos todos días.”

Correction: Hablo con mis amigos todos `los` días. Remember to include `los` (or `el`, `la`, `las`) after `todos` when it's followed by a noun.

entera

en-TEH-rah/enˈteɾa/

adjectiveA1general
Use 'entera' when referring to something that is complete and undivided, meaning the entirety of a single item, like 'the whole pizza' or 'the whole book'.
A single, large, perfectly whole and unpeeled orange resting on a plain surface, illustrating the concept of being undivided.

Examples

Me comí la manzana entera.

I ate the whole apple.

Comí la pizza entera y ahora me duele el estómago.

I ate the whole pizza, and now my stomach hurts.

La familia entera asistió a la boda.

The entire family attended the wedding.

Para esta receta solo usamos leche entera.

For this recipe, we only use whole (full-fat) milk.

Gender Match

Remember, 'entera' is the feminine form. You must only use it when describing feminine nouns, like 'mesa' (table) or 'vida' (life). For masculine nouns, use 'entero'.

Emphasis

To really stress that something is totally whole, you often place 'entera' right after the noun it describes: 'la casa entera' (the whole house).

Mixing Genders

Mistake: “El ciudad entera es ruidosa.”

Correction: La ciudad entera es ruidosa. (Because 'ciudad' is feminine, you need 'la' and 'entera'.)

completa

/kom-PLEH-tah/[komˈple.ta]

adjectiveA1general
Use 'completa' when emphasizing that something is finished, full, or has all its parts, often used with abstract concepts like information or a list.
A perfectly assembled circular puzzle composed of four brightly colored, interlocking pieces, illustrating completeness.

Examples

La lista de invitados está completa.

The guest list is complete.

La información que diste es completamente completa.

The information you gave is completely complete.

Necesito la lista de compras completa antes de salir.

I need the full shopping list before leaving.

La luna llena está hermosa y completa esta noche.

The full moon is beautiful and whole tonight.

Matching the Noun

Since 'completa' is feminine, you only use it when describing feminine things, like 'la casa' (the house) or 'la historia' (the story). For masculine things, you must use 'completo'.

Using the wrong gender

Mistake: “El tarea está completa.”

Correction: La tarea está completa. (Because 'tarea' is feminine, the adjective must match.)

total

toh-TAHL/toˈtal/

nounB1general
Use 'total' when referring to the entire quantity or sum of something, especially in a financial or numerical context.
A large, neatly stacked tower constructed from many smaller, colorful building blocks, illustrating the final total amount.

Examples

El total de la compra fue de cincuenta euros.

The total of the purchase was fifty euros.

¿Cuál es el total de la cuenta, por favor?

What is the total amount of the bill, please?

Necesitamos alcanzar un total de 100 puntos para ganar.

We need to reach a total of 100 points to win.

Hemos reunido el total requerido.

We have gathered the required total.

Always Masculine

When 'total' is used as a noun meaning 'the sum' or 'the whole amount,' it is always masculine: 'el total'.

sana

/SAH-nah//ˈsa.na/

adjectiveA2general
Use 'sana' when describing something that is undamaged, healthy, or intact, often applied to physical objects like fruit or people's health.
A joyful girl with rosy cheeks holding a bright red apple and showing off her strong arm muscle, illustrating physical wellness.

Examples

Afortunadamente, la casa quedó sana después del terremoto.

Fortunately, the house remained whole/undamaged after the earthquake.

La fruta que compraste está sana y fresca.

The fruit you bought is whole and fresh.

Mi abuela sigue sana a los 90 años.

My grandmother is still healthy at 90 years old.

Necesitas una dieta sana para tener energía.

You need a healthy diet to have energy.

Feminine Form

As an adjective, 'sana' is the feminine form. Always make sure the ending matches the thing you are describing: 'una persona sana' (a healthy person), but 'un cuerpo sano' (a healthy body).

Using the wrong gender

Mistake: “El agua está sana. (Water is healthy.)”

Correction: El agua está sana. (This is a trick! Even though 'agua' starts with 'a,' it is a masculine noun, but you still use 'sana' because of the way the words flow together, but generally, use 'sano' for masculine words.)

Choosing Between 'Entera' and 'Completa'

Learners often confuse 'entera' and 'completa'. Remember that 'entera' refers to the undivided entirety of a single physical item (like a whole pizza), while 'completa' means finished or having all necessary parts, often for abstract things (like complete information).

Related Translations

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