notario
/noˈtaɾjo/masculine
The Spanish word for notary is notario. Wiktionary also lists fedatario and escribano.
Meaning: notary public (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| notario | /noˈtaɾjo/ | masculine |
| fedatario | /fedaˈtaɾjo/ | masculine |
| escribano | /eskɾiˈbano/ | masculine |
| nuestramo | /nwestɾamo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
A notario is a notary public. If you need to refer to the physical office or the business practice of a notary, use notaría.
Which one should you use?
While notario refers specifically to the professional title, fedatario is a more technical or legal term used for any official who has the authority to attest to the truth of a document.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the term for a notary is Escribano Público.
How does it change in a sentence?
Notario is a masculine noun. To refer to a female notary, you can use the feminine form notaria or the feminine form escribana (derived from escribano).
How do you pronounce it?
/noˈtaɾjo/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, a notario must be a highly trained lawyer and is appointed by the state, making the role far more prestigious than a notary public in the US or UK.
- The title fedatario is built from the word fe, meaning 'faith', implying that the notary is someone who 'grants faith' to the truth of a document.
- The Latin ancestor of notario, notārius, originally referred specifically to a shorthand writer.
Examples in context
- Tengo una cita con el notario.I have an appointment with the notary.
- El notario debe firmar el documento.The notary must sign the document.
- ¿Dónde está la oficina del notario?Where is the notary's office?
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are discussing legal paperwork at home.
- Alejandro¿Ya hablaste con el notario?Have you already spoken with the notary?
- MaríaSí, el notario me llamó hoy.Yes, the notary called me today.
- AlejandroPerfecto, necesitamos su firma pronto.Perfect, we need his signature soon.
- MaríaMañana iré a ver al notario.I will go see the notary tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “notary” translations and entries notario, fedatario, escribano, 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 escribano, fedatario, notario, CC BY-SA 4.0.
