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Spanish Office Vocabulary: Spanish Words and Phrases You Need to Talk Professionally

Last updated: March 15, 2026

Office and workplace vocabulary in Spanish - Banner

Learning Spanish for work is one of the smartest moves you can make in 2026. Whether you're preparing for a job in a Spanish-speaking country, working with international clients, or just want to diversify your career options, knowing the right office vocabulary makes a huge difference. I've seen so many learners struggle because they can study Spanish for years, but still freeze up when they need to talk about spreadsheets or schedule a meeting. This guide covers all the essential workplace terms you need.

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Office roles and positions in Spanish

Let's start with the people you'll interact with at work. Knowing these terms helps you understand org charts, introduce colleagues, and navigate office politics.

The basic structure starts with "el jefe" or "la jefa" (the boss). Pretty straightforward. But workplaces have layers:

Spanish

English

el director / la directora
Director, executive
el gerente / la gerente
Manager
el supervisor / la supervisora
Supervisor
el empleado / la empleada
Employee
el colega / la colega
Colleague
el compañero de trabajo / la compañera de trabajo
Coworker
el asistente / la asistente
Assistant
el becario / la becaria
Intern
el secretario / la secretaria
Secretary
el contador / la contadora
Accountant
el abogado / la abogada
Lawyer
el recepcionista / la recepcionista
Receptionist
el jefe de proyecto
Project manager
el representante de ventas
Sales representative
el director de recursos humanos
Human resources director
el técnico de soporte
Support technician

Notice how Spanish uses gendered articles and often changes the word ending based on gender. This trips up a lot of learners at first, but you get used to it fast when you're using these words daily.

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Spanish words and phrases for company departments

Every company splits into departments, and you need to know where to send people or who handles what. These terms come up constantly in emails and conversations.

Spanish

English

el departamento de recursos humanos (RRHH)
Human resources department
el departamento de ventas
Sales department
el departamento de marketing
Marketing department
el departamento de contabilidad
Accounting department
el departamento de finanzas
Finance department
el departamento legal
Legal department
el departamento de tecnología
IT department
el departamento de servicio al cliente
Customer service department
el departamento de producción
Production department
el departamento de investigación y desarrollo
R&D department

When you're navigating a Spanish-speaking workplace, knowing these helps you direct questions properly. "Eso es del departamento de RRHH" (That's from the HR department) becomes a phrase you'll use weekly.

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Spanish vocabulary for office supplies and furniture

Now for the physical stuff around your workspace. This vocabulary helps you request supplies, set up your desk, or explain what you need.

Basic furniture terms:

Spanish

English

el escritorio
Desk
la silla
Chair
la mesa de reuniones
Meeting table
el archivador
Filing cabinet
la estantería
Bookshelf
el cubículo
Cubicle

Office supplies you'll use constantly:

Spanish

English

el bolígrafo / la pluma
Pen
el lápiz
Pencil
el papel
Paper
la grapadora
Stapler
las grapas
Staples
el clip
Paper clip
la carpeta
Folder
el cuaderno
Notebook
la calculadora
Calculator
la impresora
Printer
el escáner
Scanner
la fotocopiadora
Photocopier
la pizarra
Whiteboard
el rotulador
Marker
la cinta adhesiva
Tape
las tijeras
Scissors

Tech equipment:

Spanish

English

la computadora / el ordenador
Computer (computadora in Latin America, ordenador in Spain)
el teclado
Keyboard
el ratón
Mouse
la pantalla
Screen
el monitor
Monitor
la impresora
Printer
el teléfono
Telephone
el móvil / el celular
Cell phone (móvil in Spain, celular in Latin America)
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Workplace actions and verbs

Verbs are where Spanish office vocabulary really comes alive. These are the actions you'll perform daily, and knowing them helps you understand instructions and participate in discussions.

Communication verbs:

Spanish

English

llamar
To call
enviar
To send
recibir
To receive
contestar
To answer
responder
To respond
hablar
To speak
comunicar
To communicate
informar
To inform

Work task verbs:

Spanish

English

trabajar
To work
completar
To complete
terminar
To finish
empezar / comenzar
To start
organizar
To organize
planificar
To plan
programar
To schedule
archivar
To file
imprimir
To print
escanear
To scan
fotocopiar
To photocopy
revisar
To review / to check
corregir
To correct
firmar
To sign

Meeting and collaboration verbs:

Spanish

English

reunirse
To meet
asistir
To attend
presentar
To present
discutir
To discuss
colaborar
To collaborate
coordinar
To coordinate
delegar
To delegate
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Work contracts and job types in business Spanish

Understanding employment terms helps you navigate job offers, contracts, and workplace conversations about roles. This vocabulary becomes critical when you're job hunting or negotiating.

Contract types:

Spanish

English

el contrato
Contract
el contrato indefinido
Permanent contract
el contrato temporal
Temporary contract
el contrato a tiempo completo
Full-time contract
el contrato a tiempo parcial
Part-time contract
el periodo de prueba
Probation period

Job and work terms:

Spanish

English

el trabajo
Work / Job
el empleo
Employment
el puesto
Position
la vacante
Vacancy
el sueldo / el salario
Salary
el aumento
Raise
el bono
Bonus
los beneficios
Benefits
las vacaciones
Vacation
el día libre
Day off
la baja por enfermedad
Sick leave
la licencia de maternidad / paternidad
Maternity / Paternity leave
el horario
Schedule
el turno
Shift
las horas extras
Overtime
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Common workplace phrases and expressions in Spanish language

Knowing individual words helps, but phrases make you sound natural. These are expressions you'll hear in Spanish offices constantly.

Greeting and basic interaction:

  • Buenos días.
    Good morning.
  • Buenas tardes.
    Good afternoon.
  • ¿Cómo estás? / ¿Cómo está?
    How are you? (informal / formal)
  • Mucho gusto.
    Nice to meet you.
  • Encantado / Encantada.
    Pleased to meet you.

Phone phrases:

  • ¿Aló? / ¿Dígame?
    Hello? (when answering the phone)
  • ¿De parte de quién?
    Who's calling?
  • Un momento, por favor.
    One moment, please.
  • Le paso con...
    I'll transfer you to...
  • Está ocupado / Está ocupada.
    He's busy. / She's busy.

Meeting language:

  • Tenemos una reunión a las...
    We have a meeting at...
  • ¿Podemos agendar una reunión?
    Can we schedule a meeting?
  • Vamos a discutir...
    We're going to discuss...
  • ¿Alguna pregunta?
    Any questions?
  • Pasemos al siguiente punto.
    Let's move to the next point.

Email and communication:

  • Estimado / Estimada...
    Dear... (formal)
  • Adjunto el documento.
    I'm attaching the document.
  • Quedo a la espera de su respuesta.
    I await your response.
  • Saludos cordiales.
    Kind regards.
  • Atentamente.
    Sincerely.
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Tips to learn Spanish office vocabulary effectively

Learning vocabulary lists feels boring, I get it. But here are some strategies that actually work for workplace terms.

  1. First tip: context matters way more than memorization. Instead of drilling "el escritorio" fifty times, imagine yourself at a desk and describe what you see in Spanish. "Estoy sentado en mi escritorio, usando mi computadora, con mi teclado y ratón." You're building connections.
  2. Second, group words by category like I've done here. Your brain remembers related terms better than random lists. Learn all the office supplies together, then all the job titles, then all the verbs.
  3. Third, use the vocabulary immediately. If you're working in a bilingual environment, label items around your desk with Spanish sticky notes. Write your to-do list in Spanish. Send practice emails to yourself using business phrases.
  4. Fourth, consume Spanish workplace content. Watch Spanish business news, read company websites in Spanish, listen to podcasts about entrepreneurship in Spanish. You'll hear this vocabulary used naturally, which helps it stick way better than flashcards alone.

If you want to practice this vocabulary with real Spanish content, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words instantly while watching Spanish business videos or reading articles. You can save workplace terms directly into your study decks as you encounter them. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

spanish language learning with migaku browser extension and app
Learn Spanish with Migaku
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Mistakes can help you improve

You'll make mistakes, forget words, and probably accidentally use the wrong formality level a few times. That's completely normal and expected. Start with the basics: master greetings, common verbs, and the vocabulary specific to your role. Improve from there. You don't need to memorize every term in this guide before your first day. You need enough to function, then you'll pick up more through immersion.

If you consume media in Spanish, and you understand at least some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. Period.

A mistake taught is a mistake never repeated.✅