atención
/atenˈθjon/feminine
The English phrase 'attention' is translated into Spanish as atención.
atención refers to mental focus. You can use the interjection ¡Atención! to grab a crowd's attention, much like saying 'Listen up!' or 'Attention please!' in English. While English speakers say they "pay" attention, in Spanish you use the verb prestar to mean 'to pay attention' (prestar atención).
Meaning: mental focus (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal contexts, the verb Atender can be used to convey the concept of attention. As a military command, the interjection ¡Atención! is used to order soldiers to stand at attention. To get someone's attention informally, you can use the interjection ¡Oye!
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun atención is feminine, so it is used with the feminine article la (la atención).
How do you pronounce it?
/atenˈθjon/
When do people say it?
To convey being 'aware' or 'staying tuned' in an informal way, you can use the phrase Estar pendiente.
Did you know?
- The noun atención can be used as a polite way to refer to a small gift or a kind gesture, known as una atención.
- The English word 'attention' and the Spanish atención share a common ancestor in the Proto-Indo-European root *tend-, which means 'to stretch'.
- In Spanish, you do not 'attract' attention using the word 'attract' as often as English does. Instead, speakers often say llamar la atención, which literally means 'to call the attention'.
Examples in context
- Le gusta la atención.He likes attention.This sentence shows how to express that someone likes attention using atención.Tatoeba #4482667 by cueyayotl, translation #3329835 by Hybrid
- Presta atención a él.Pay attention to him.This sentence uses atención to show how to tell someone to pay attention to him.Tatoeba #5952623 by albrusgher, translation #3907616 by CH
- Les gusta la atención.They like attention.This sentence uses atención to show how to express that they like attention.Tatoeba #4471832 by cueyayotl, translation #2243220 by CK
- Le ruego preste atención a las instruccionesPlease pay attention to the instructions
- Por favor, ponga atención a los detallesPlease pay attention to the details
- Estate pendiente de las noticiasStay tuned for the news
- Eh, tú, ven aquíHey, you, come here
- 221 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are studying together in a library.
- ElenaNo puedo mantener la atención hoy.I cannot maintain my focus today.
- AlejandroTal vez necesites un descanso, Elena.Maybe you need a break, Elena.
- ElenaSí, mi atención está muy baja.Yes, my focus is very low.
- AlejandroVamos a caminar un poco, Alejandro dice.Let's walk for a bit, Alejandro says.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “attention” translations and entries atención, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries atención, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
