conciencia
/konˈθjenθja/
The Spanish word for awareness is conciencia.
conciencia refers to the state or quality of being aware of something. To describe the process of actually becoming aware or realizing something, Spanish speakers often use the verbal phrase tomar conciencia.
Meaning: the state or quality of being aware of something (noun)
Which one should you use?
Note that conciencia is a versatile word. Depending on the context, it can mean both 'awareness' and 'conscience' (the moral sense of right and wrong).
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to express awareness of a specific thing, you typically follow the noun with the preposition de (conciencia de).
How do you pronounce it?
/konˈθjenθja/
Did you know?
- To describe the act of losing consciousness, Spanish speakers use the phrase perder el conocimiento, switching from conciencia to the word conocimiento, which usually means 'knowledge'.
- Because conciencia can mean both 'awareness' and 'conscience', a person who lacks awareness might be described as having no 'conciencia', which can imply they are also a person without a moral compass.
- The word conciencia shares a single root with the English word 'conscience', both stemming from the Latin 'conscientia', meaning 'shared knowledge'.
Examples in context
- Él no tiene conciencia del espacio.He has no spatial awareness.This sentence shows how to use conciencia to describe spatial awareness.Tatoeba #5140119 by albrusgher, translation #1676646 by Spamster
- Desarrollar conciencia política toma tiempo.Developing political awareness takes time.This sentence uses conciencia to describe political awareness.Tatoeba #1903681 by marcelostockle, translation #271373 by CM
- Él tiene una nítida conciencia del problema.He has a keen awareness of the problem.This sentence demonstrates using conciencia to describe a keen awareness of a problem.Tatoeba #5140099 by albrusgher, translation #304130 by CM
- Tenemos que crear conciencia sobre el impacto ambiental de nuestros comportamientos.We need to raise awareness about the environmental impact of our behaviors.
- Me di cuenta de que había olvidado mi bolso en el automóvil.I realized I had left my bag in the car.
- No sé si ella está al tanto del plan.I don't know if she is aware of the plan.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a new workplace safety initiative.
- MaríaNecesitamos aumentar la conciencia sobre la seguridad.We need to increase awareness about safety.
- JavierTienes razón, María, es muy importante.You're right, María, it is very important.
- MaríaJavier, ¿has visto el nuevo cartel?Javier, have you seen the new poster?
- JavierSí, ayuda mucho a crear conciencia.Yes, it helps a lot to create awareness.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry conciencia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries conciencia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
