personal
/peɾsoˈnal/
The English word 'personal' is translated into Spanish as personal.
The adjective personal is used to describe subjects about which one wishes to maintain privacy or discretion.
Meaning: dealing with subjects about which one wishes to maintain privacy or discretion (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective personal is gender-neutral, meaning it does not change its spelling to match feminine nouns. To agree with plural nouns, the word changes to personales. In Spanish, adjectives often come after the noun they modify.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾsoˈnal/
Did you know?
- The word personal shares its roots with the English word 'person', as both descend from the Latin 'persona', which originally referred to a mask worn by actors.
- In Spanish, asuntos personales is frequently used as a professional euphemism to signal a family crisis or health issue without revealing specific details.
- While personal describes private matters, it is also the standard noun for 'staff' or 'personnel' in a business environment.
Examples in context
- No es nada personal.It's nothing personal.Tatoeba #1705081 by teskmon, translation #1037831 by papabear
- Lo personal es político.The personal is political.Tatoeba #10926484 by ecorralest101, translation #10717779 by shekitten
- Nada de esto es personal.None of this is personal.Tatoeba #7144948 by arh, translation #10241987 by LimeGreenTeknii
- Información personalPersonal information
- Asuntos íntimosPersonal matters
- Regalo personalizadoPersonalized gift
- Asunto personalísimoExtremely personal matter
- Temas íntimosPersonal topics
- Mis opiniones personalesMy personal opinions
- 71 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking at a cafe.
- Lucía¿Por qué no viniste ayer?Why didn't you come yesterday?
- DanielTuve un problema personal.I had a personal problem.
- LucíaLo siento mucho, Daniel.I am very sorry, Daniel.
- DanielGracias, Lucía, de verdad.Thank you, Lucía, truly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry personal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries personal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
