CA
/ka/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'ac' translates to Spanish as CA (alternating current). Wiktionary also lists corriente alterna.
Meaning: alternating current (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| CA | /ka/ (from spelling rules) |
| corriente alterna | /koˌrjente alˈteɾna/ |
If you are referring to air conditioning, there are different terms used depending on the level of formality.
How do you pronounce it?
/ka/
Did you know?
- While CA means alternating current in technical contexts, the same two letters as a standalone word can be a clipping of casa meaning 'house' in certain Spanish dialects.
- The word corriente is used both for electrical current and to describe something 'ordinary' or 'common' in Spanish.
- In Spanish, corriente is also the word used for a draft of air or a water current, linking the flow of electricity to the flow of nature.
Examples in context
- No toques el enchufe del cable del aire acondicionado con las manos mojadas.Do not touch the plug of the AC power cord with wet hands.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use CA when discussing an air conditioning power cord.Tatoeba #11434046 by Eremon, translation #1695343 by DJ_Saidez
- El aire acondicionado de la sala está funcionando perfectamente.The air conditioning in the living room is working perfectly.
- ¿Podrías encender el aire? Está bastante caliente.Could you turn on the AC? It's quite hot.
- Hace mucho calor. Vamos a poner el clima más bajo.It's very hot. Let's set the AC lower.
- Los aires acondicionados del hotel funcionan de maravilla.The ACs in the hotel work wonderfully.
- El motor funciona con CA.The motor works with AC.
- Necesitamos un transformador de CA a CC.We need an AC to DC transformer.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are working in an electronics laboratory.
- Lucía¿Es esta fuente de CA o de CC?Is this an AC or a DC power source?
- JavierEs CA, Lucía.It is AC, Lucía.
- LucíaPerfecto, el circuito lo requiere.Perfect, the circuit requires it.
- JavierTen cuidado al conectarlo.Be careful when connecting it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ac” translations and entries CA, corriente alterna, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ca, corriente, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
