oxígeno
/oɡˈsixeno/masculine
The English word oxygen is oxígeno in Spanish.
oxígeno refers to the chemical element oxygen.
Meaning: chemical element (noun)
Which one should you use?
While oxígeno is the standard term, dioxígeno is a formal term specifically used for molecular oxygen.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because oxígeno is a masculine noun, you must use the masculine article el instead of the feminine la when referring to it (e.g., el oxígeno). The related verb oxigenar means to oxygenate.
How do you pronounce it?
/oɡˈsixeno/
Did you know?
- The Spanish verb oxigenar is commonly used in beauty and hair care to describe the process of bleaching hair using peroxides.
- In Spanish, oxígeno is often used metaphorically in the phrase dar oxígeno to describe giving someone space or a necessary break in a high-pressure situation.
- The word oxígeno is derived from the Ancient Greek words for 'sharp' and 'birth' because early chemists believed it was the essential component for creating acids.
Examples in context
- Menos gente más oxígeno.Less people more oxygen.This sentence illustrates how to use oxígeno in a comparative context.Tatoeba #4487991 by cueyayotl, translation #10112677 by espamatics
- El amor es como el oxígeno.Love is like oxygen.This sentence uses oxígeno in a simile.Tatoeba #1670132 by marcelostockle, translation #1670129 by al_ex_an_der
- No puedes vivir sin oxígeno.You can't live without oxygen.This sentence shows the necessity of oxígeno for life.Tatoeba #8889001 by escudo119, translation #245185 by CK
- El oxígeno es un elemento esencial para la vida.Oxygen is an essential element for life.
- El ejercicio regular ayuda a oxigenar el cuerpo.Regular exercise helps oxygenate the body.
- 44 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are studying chemistry together.
- SofíaEl oxígeno es necesario para el fuego.Oxygen is necessary for fire.
- AlejandroSí, por eso el fuego se apaga sin aire.Yes, that is why the fire goes out without air.
- Sofía¿Cuál es el símbolo del oxígeno?What is the symbol for oxygen?
- AlejandroEl símbolo es simplemente la letra O.The symbol is simply the letter O.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “oxygen” translations and entries oxígeno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oxígeno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
