agencia
/aˈxenθja/feminine
The English word 'agency' translates to Spanish as agencia. Wiktionary also lists oficina.
Meaning: establishment engaged in doing business for another (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| agencia | /aˈxenθja/ /aˈxensja/ |
feminine |
| oficina | /ofiˈθina/ /ofiˈsina/ |
feminine |
agencia is used to refer to the business entity or establishment engaged in doing business for another. A common way you will see this used is in the collocation agencia de viajes, which means 'travel agency'.
Which one should you use?
While agencia refers to the business entity itself, oficina refers to the physical office or branch location.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the phrase Oficina de representación is used to refer to an agency representing a company or establishment. In Spain, the word despacho is commonly used to describe an agency, especially related to political or legal matters.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both agencia and oficina are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈxenθja/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the terms agencia, oficina and despacho can all overlap, but choosing the wrong one can shift the meaning from a business entity to a piece of furniture.
- The Spanish word oficina is a 'learned borrowing' from Latin, meaning it was reintroduced into the language by scholars rather than evolving naturally through common speech.
- If you are looking for a government agency in certain Spanish-speaking regions, you might look for a dependencia instead of an agencia.
Examples in context
- Trabajo para una agencia de viajes.I work for a travel agency.This sentence is useful for saying you work for a travel agency using agencia.Tatoeba #824290 by Munia, translation #252381 by CK
- Preguntemos en una agencia de viajes.Let's ask in a travel agency.This sentence is useful for suggesting asking a question at a travel agency using agencia.Tatoeba #929648 by Shishir, translation #12483062 by Nandixer
- Yo trabajo en una agencia de turismo.I work in a tourist agency.This sentence is useful for stating you work in a tourist agency using agencia.Tatoeba #1344484 by marcelostockle, translation #896133 by pauldhunt
- Trabajo en una agencia de talentos.I work in a talent agency.
- Vamos a visitar la agencia de turismo para reservar nuestras vacaciones.We are going to visit the travel agency to book our vacation.
- ¿Dónde está la oficina de empleo?Where is the employment agency?
- Fui al centro de asistencia al ciudadano para solicitar un nuevo pasaporte.I went to the citizen assistance center to apply for a new passport.
- Necesitamos contactar a la oficina de representación de la compañía en Colombia.We need to contact the company's representation office in Colombia.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are discussing where to book a car rental.
- Javier¿Conoces alguna agencia de alquiler de coches?Do you know any car rental agency?
- ElenaSí, hay una agencia cerca de la estación.Yes, there is an agency near the station.
- JavierPerfecto, llamaré a esa agencia ahora mismo.Perfect, I will call that agency right now.
- ElenaMuy bien, espero que tengan coches disponibles.Very well, I hope they have cars available.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “agency” translations and entries agencia, oficina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agencia, oficina, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
