conciencia
/konˈθjenθja/feminine
The English phrase 'conscience' is translated to Spanish as conciencia.
conciencia refers to one's moral sense. You can use conciencia moral to specifically emphasize the moral aspect of a person's conscience. In certain contexts, you might also use the phrase sentido de la responsabilidad to refer to a person's sense of responsibility as an alternative to conscience. For an informal way to describe the voice of one's conscience, you can use the expression el angelito en el hombro.
Meaning: moral sense (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word conciencia is used for both 'conscience' (the moral sense) and 'consciousness' (the state of being awake or aware).
How do you pronounce it?
/konˈθjenθja/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse conciencia with consciencia. While conciencia is the standard term for moral conscience, consciencia is a valid but less common variant specifically used for physical consciousness.
When do people say it?
To say that someone has a clear conscience, the common idiomatic expression is tener la conciencia tranquila, which literally means 'to have the conscience calm'.
Did you know?
- The word conciencia shares its Latin root with the English word 'science'. Both originate from the concept of 'knowing something together' or shared knowledge.
- Spanish has a unique way of describing the 'loss of consciousness' using perder el conocimiento. This uses the word conocimiento 'knowledge' instead of conciencia.
- The phrase conciencia social is frequently used in Spanish to describe an awareness of societal injustices. It shifts the meaning from an individual's morality to a collective political awareness.
Examples in context
- Me remuerde la conciencia.My conscience bothers me.This sentence is useful for expressing that your conciencia is bothering you.Tatoeba #2267586 by hayastan, translation #2267585 by _undertoad
- Ella tenía una conciencia limpia.She had a clear conscience.This sentence is useful for describing someone who had a clear conciencia.Tatoeba #1711247 by marcelostockle, translation #317463 by CK
- Su mentira pesó sobre su conciencia.His lie weighed on his conscience.This sentence is useful for describing how a lie weighed on someone's conciencia.Tatoeba #1448323 by peibolvig, translation #26655 by auxitt
- El bichito de la conciencia no me dejó dormir esta noche.The little bug of conscience didn't let me sleep last night.
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are discussing a difficult ethical decision at work.
- MateoDebes seguir tu conciencia.You must follow your conscience.
- LucíaMi conciencia me dice que es lo correcto.My conscience tells me it is the right thing to do.
- MateoEs una decisión muy difícil.It is a very difficult decision.
- LucíaPero necesito tener la conciencia tranquila.But I need to have a clear conscience.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “conscience” translations and entries 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.
