nómina
/ˈnomina/
The Spanish word for payroll is nómina.
Nómina is the standard word used in Spanish to refer to payroll. You may also encounter liquidación de sueldos, which emphasizes the process of calculating and distributing employee salaries at the end of a certain period.
Meaning: calculation of salaries and wages, department that does this (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of nómina is nóminas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnomina/
Did you know?
- The term nómina is a linguistic cousin of the English word 'noun'. Both derive from the Latin word for 'name', because a payroll was originally just a list of names.
- Spanish speakers use the phrase estar en nómina to indicate that someone is a permanent, official employee. If a worker is not en nómina, they are likely a freelancer or working informally.
- The word nómina is also used in Spanish to describe a list of candidates or a roster of people, such as a list of players on a sports team. In this context, it has nothing to do with money or salaries.
Examples in context
- La empresa envía la nómina mensualmente a los empleados.The company sends the payroll to the employees on a monthly basis.
- La liquidación de sueldos se realiza al final de cada mes.The salary distribution is carried out at the end of each month.
- El departamento de nóminas ha procesado los pagos.The payroll department has processed the payments.
- La nómina de este mes es correcta.This month's payroll is correct.
- Tengo que revisar la nómina de la empresa.I have to check the company's payroll.
- El departamento de nómina está en la planta baja.The payroll department is on the ground floor.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are talking in a modern office.
- Sofía¿Has recibido ya la nómina, Javier?Have you received your payroll yet, Javier?
- JavierNo, todavía no me ha llegado nada.No, nothing has arrived for me yet.
- SofíaQuizás haya un error en la nómina este mes.Maybe there is an error in the payroll this month.
- JavierEspero que sea solo un retraso.I hope it is just a delay.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry nómina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nómina, CC BY-SA 4.0.
