núcleo
/ˈnukleo/masculine
The Spanish word for "nucleus" is núcleo.
núcleo refers to the core or central part of something. It is used in both scientific contexts, such as biology and physics and in metaphorical contexts to describe the core of a group or organization.
Meaning: core, central part of something (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of núcleo is núcleos.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnukleo/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word núcleo shares a common ancestor with the English word 'nut', both stemming from the Proto-Italic root for 'kernel'.
- The word núcleo is frequently used in Spanish urban planning to describe the 'central core' or the most important district of a city.
- In Spanish linguistics, the núcleo is the part of a phrase that cannot be removed without destroying the meaning.
Examples in context
- Vosotros dos sois el núcleo del equipo.You two are the nucleus of the team.This sentence shows how to describe two people as the nucleus of a team.Tatoeba #1606474 by teskmon, translation #17624 by Zifre
- El núcleo del átomo está rodeado de una nube de electrones.The atom's nucleus is surrounded by an electron cloud.This sentence describes the nucleus of an atom in a physics context.Tatoeba #11096974 by Curro, translation #3958360 by Hybrid
- El citoplasma está constituido de proteínas, el núcleo de ácidos nucléicos.The cytoplasm consists of proteins, the nucleus of nucleic acids.This sentence describes the nucleus of nucleic acids in a biological context.Tatoeba #2082809 by marcelostockle, translation #8108648 by haukie
- Según la teoría del núcleo, el átomo está compuesto por protones y neutrones en su centro.According to the nucleus theory, the atom is composed of protons and neutrons in its center.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are discussing the main idea of a book.
- SofíaNo entiendo el núcleo de la historia.I don't understand the core of the story.
- JavierEl núcleo es la lucha contra el miedo.The core is the struggle against fear.
- SofíaAhora entiendo mejor el libro, Javier.Now I understand the book better, Javier.
- JavierEs la parte más importante del relato.It is the most important part of the story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nucleus” translations and entries núcleo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries núcleo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
