53 Financial Terms In Spanish For When You Need To Talk About Money

53 Financial Terms In Spanish For When You Need To Talk About Money

Some people will say that money can’t buy happiness, but it does make the world go round somewhat.

No matter where you are in the world, you are not going to avoid having to use and talk about money. If you want to do business in a Spanish-speaking country you are going to need to learn financial terms in Spanish.

Even if you are traveling for pleasure, it’s still important to learn how to talk about money in Spanish. After all, one of the common Spanish travel phrases that you will find yourself using daily will be: ¿Cuánto? or ¿Cuánto cuesta?

These phrases are the most basic way to ask a Spanish speaker about the cost of an item. You will use it in restaurants, stores, bars, and during business negotiations. An important phrase indeed that is all about money,

Aside from knowing how to ask how much something costs, however, there are a few other financial terms in Spanish that are useful to know. We’re going to go through a few of them in this post and later we will provide you with a downloadable PDF of these terms to make it easier for you to study and learn.

1. El dinero

Pronunciation guide: el dee-neh-roh

English translation: Money 

This is the most basic word for “money” in Spanish. “Dinero” is a masculine noun, which is why it is preceded by an “el”.

2. La plata

Pronunciation guide: la plah-tah

English translation: Silver or money in Latin American Spanish dialects

“Plata” is the Spanish word for the precious metal silver. However, in some Spanish dialects that originate from Latin America, it is also used to refer to “money”.  

“Plata” is a feminine noun, which is why it is preceded by a “la”.

3. El banco

Pronunciation guide: el bahng-koh

English translation: Bank

This Spanish financial term refers to the bank, which is a major financial institution in both English and Spanish. 

4. Banca 

Pronunciation guide: bahng-kah

English translation: Banking

If you want to talk about the financial activity of banking, this is the word to use. 

5. La cuenta

Pronunciation guide: la kwehn-tah

English translation: Account

Most Spanish speakers who don’t work in “el banca” might still find themselves regularly going to “el banco” because they have an account of some sort with the institution. There are different types of “la cuenta” that you can have with a bank.

6. La cuenta de ahorros

Pronunciation guide:  la kwehn-tah deh ah-oh-rrohs

English translation: Savings account

This is the Spanish word for “savings account”.

7. La cuneta corriente 

Pronunciation guide: la kwenh-tah koh-rryehn-th

English translation: Checking account

This is the Spanish term for “checking account”. With a checking account, people entrust their money to a bank and are issued checks or a checkbook that they can use as “cash”. 

8. El cheque

Pronunciation guide: el cheh-keh

English translation: Check

If you have a “la cuenta corriente” you can pay people by writing out a specific amount on “el cheque”. They can then present this “cheque” to a bank and get cash in exchange.

9. La chequera

Pronunciation guide: la cheh-kah-rah

English translation: Checkbook

This is a small booklet of checks that a bank will issue to you after you have opened a checking account with them. 

10. El esatado de cuenta

Pronunciation guide: el ehs-tah-doh deh kwehn-tah

English translation: Bank statement or account statement

If you want to get an idea of how much you have in your bank account, you can ask for an “el estado de cuenta”.

11. El saldo de cuenta

Pronunciation guide: el sahl-doh deh kwehn-tah

English translation: Account balance

The amount of money in your account is the “el saldo de cuenta”.

12. El cajero automático

Pronunciation guide: 

English translation: ATM or cash machine

Many Spanish-speaking areas will have ATM or cash machines outside banks or in other places such as shopping centers where you can withdraw cash. 

13. Billete

Pronunciation guide: bee-yeh-teh

English translation: Paper money or bill

You might have learned that this common Spanish word mean’s “ticket” and it does, but it can als refer to paper money or bills. 

14. Moneda

Pronunciation guide: moh-neh-dah

English translation: Coins or currency

This financial term in Spanish can either refer to coins or be used when you are talking about currency.

15. Pagar

Pronunciation guide: pah-gahr

English translation: To pay

This Spanish verb translates to pay or the act of exchanging money or something of value for something else. 

16. El precio 

Pronunciation guide: el preh-syoh

English translation: The price or value

This financial term in Spanish refers to the value or cost of a good or service. 

17. Cuota

Pronunciation guide: kwoh-tah

English translation: Fee

This is the Spanish word for fee or charge.

18. Préstamo

Pronunciation guide: 

English translation: Loan

This financial term in Spanish refers to a loan or money that is borrowed from a financial institution like a bank. It can also be money that was borrowed from friends or family.

19. Deuda

Pronunciation guide: deyoo-dah

English translation: Debt

This is the Spanish financial term for “debt”. When you owe money, you have debt.

20. Salario

Pronunciation guide: sah-lah-ryoh

English translation: Salary

“El salario” is the compensation that an employee gets for the work that they do. If you are a company or business owner, you pay your employees a salary.

21. Presupuesto

Pronunciation guide: preh-soo-pwehs-toh

English translation: Budget

This is the Spanish word for “budget”, an amount of money that you have set aside for specific expenses.

22. Impuesto

Pronunciation guide: emm-pwehs-toh

English translation: Tax

“Impuesto” or taxes are fees that are paid to the government.

23. Libre de impuestos

Pronunciation guide: lee-brah deh eem-pwehs-tohs

English translation: Duty-free or tax-free

If you don’t have to pay taxes on a purchase, it is “libre de impuestos”.

24. Tip de cambio

Pronunciation guide: tee-poh deh kahm-byoh

English translation: Exchange rate

The exchange rate is the value of one country’s currency in the currency of another company. If you are traveling in Spain for example, you might need to change US dollars to Euros and the exchange rate will determine how many Euros you will get for your dollars.

25. Oficina de cambrio

Pronunciation guide: oh-fee-see-nah deh kahm-byoh

English translation: Exchange bureau

If you need to exchange your money, look for the nearest “oficina de cambrio”.

26. Compañía

Pronunciation guide: kohm-pah-nyee-ah

English translation: Company

This is the Spanish word for “company”.

27. Ingresos

Pronunciation guide: een-greh-sohs

English translation: Income or revenue.

This financial term in Spanish translates to “income” which refers to how much an individual earns, and “revenue” which is how much a company or a country earns. 

28. Los gastos

Pronunciation guide: los gahs-tos

English translation: Expenses

This Spanish word refers to money spent by an individual, company, or organization over a given time period. 

29. La ganacia 

Pronunciation guide: la gah-nahn-syah

English translation: Profit

If your company or business is seeing a return in investment or is making money, it is making a profit.

30. Propiedad

Pronunciation guide: proh-pyeh-dahd

English translation: Property

Something of value that someone owns or possesses is referred to as their “propiedad”.

31. El inventario

Pronunciation guide: el emm-behn-tah-ryoh

English translation: The inventory

This financial term refers to a list of possessions that a company has. 

32. La nómina

Pronunciation guide: la  noh-mee-nah

English translation: Payroll

This Spanish financial term refers to a list of employees who get paid by a company for services rendered. It can also mean employee wages.  

33. El activo

Pronunciation guide: el ahk-tee-boh

English translation: Asset

An asset is something of value that a company possesses that allows it to keep running. For example, it can be money that keeps the company running or a factory and the equipment inside that allows it to produce goods for sale.

34. El pasivo

Pronunciation guide: el pah-see-boh

English translation: Liability

When we’re talking about finances, a liability is something that a company owes.

35. El libro mayor

Pronunciation guide: el lee-broh mah-yohr

English translation: Ledger

This is the Spanish financial term for a “ledger”.

36. El balance general

Pronunciation guide: bah-lahn-she heh-neh-rahl

English translation: Balance sheet 

This is the Spanish word for “balance sheet”.

37. El capital

Pronunciation guide: el kah-pee-tahl

English translation: Capital 

The running of a business requires “el capital” which is money and assets that allow the day-to-day operations of the business to continue. 

38. Financiación

Pronunciation guide: fee-nahn-syah-syohn

English translation: Funding

This is the Spanish word for “funding”, which refers to money or assets given or invested by other parties into a company’s projects.

39. Bancarrota

Pronunciation guide: bahng-kah-rroh-tah

English translation: Bankruptcy

This is the Spanish word for “bankruptcy”, when an individual or a company has lost its capital.

40. El contrador/la contadora

Pronunciation guide: el kohn-tah-dohr/ la kohn-tah-dohr

English translation: Accountant

This financial term in Spanish refers to someone whose occupation or job is to keep the financial records of a company.

Spanish is a gendered language, so if you are speaking about a male accountant, it is “el contrador” while you refer to a female accountant as a “la contradora”.

41. La contabilidad

Pronunciation guide: 

English translation: Accounting

This financial term in Spanish refers to the field of accounting or bookkeeping. If you perform accounting, you are an accountant.

42. Vender

Pronunciation guide: behn-dehr

English translation: To sell

This is the Spanish verb for the act of selling a service or a product.

43. Exportar

Pronunciation guide: ehks-pohr-tahr 

English translation: To export

This refers to the financial activity of sending goods and services to be sold abroad.

44. Importar

Pronunciation guide: eem-pohrr-tahrr

English translation: To import

This refers to the financial activity of bringing goods or services from abroad into a country where they will be sold. 

45. Economía

Pronunciation guide: eh-koh-noh-mee-ah

English translation: Economy

The “economia” is a country’s wealth and resources.

46. Oferta y demanda

Pronunciation guide: oh-fehr-tah ee deh-mahn-dah

English translation: Supply and demand

The basic principle of economics is the law of supply and demand

47. Mercado

Pronunciation guide: mehr-kah-doh

English translation: Market

You might hear this word as referring to a place where goods may be bought or it can refer to consumers, people who will buy a product. 

48. La inflación

Pronunciation guide: la ihn-fley-shihn

English translation: Inflation

This financial term in Spanish refers to a decrease in the purchasing power of money due to an increase in the prices of goods and services.

49.  La bolsa de valores

Pronunciation guide: la bohl-sah deh bah-loh-rehs

English translation: Stock market

This financial term in Spanish translates to “stock market” in English.

50. La acción 

Pronunciation guide: la ahk-syohn 

English translation: Share

These are the Spanish words for “shares” which you can buy and sell at the “la bolsa de valores”.

51. El accionista/la caccionista

Pronunciation guide: el ahk-syoh-nees-tah/la ahk-syoh-nees-tah

English translation: Shareholder

If you bought shares in a company, you are a shareholder. If you are male, you are “el accionista”. If you are female, you are “la accionista”.

52. El fondo de inversions

Pronunciation guide: el fohn-doh deh eem-behr-syohn

English translation: Investment fund

This is the Spanish financial term for an “investment fund”.

53. Los valores el gobierno

Pronunciation guide: los bah-loh-rehs el goh-byehr-noh

English translation: Government securities or government bonds.

This is how you refer to government securities or bonds in Spanish. 

Conclusion

If you want to learn how to properly have conversations about money, investments, and general financial matters in Spanish, memorizing these Spanish financial terms is a good way to start.

What are some useful financial terms in Spanish?

El dinero - money, La plata - Silver or money in Latin American Spanish dialects, El banco - bank, La cuenta - account, La cuenta de ahorros - savings account, La cuneta corriente - checking account, El cheque - check

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