red eléctrica
/red eleɡtɾika/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase 'power grid' is translated into Spanish as red eléctrica.
red eléctrica refers to the infrastructure used to distribute electrical power throughout a region. It is a formal term used in Spain and several Latin American countries.
Meaning: the infrastructure for distributing electrical power throughout a region (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of red, meaning network or grid and eléctrica, meaning electrical.
Which one should you use?
While red eléctrica is the standard term, there are other formal variations. Red de energía eléctrica translates to 'electric energy network', sistema de suministro eléctrico means 'electrical supply system' and red de suministro eléctrico translates to 'electrical supply network'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun red is feminine, so the adjective must be the feminine form eléctrica to match it. When making the phrase plural, both the noun and the adjective must be pluralized, resulting in las redes eléctricas.
How do you pronounce it?
/red eleɡtɾika/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, people use la luz ('the light') as a colloquial shorthand for the red eléctrica when reporting a power failure.
- The word red is used for the 'net' in sports like tennis and volleyball, meaning the same word describes a power grid and a piece of sports equipment.
- The word red in red eléctrica comes from the Latin 'rete', which is the same root for the English word 'reticular', used to describe net-like structures.
Examples in context
- El huracán Ida dañó la red eléctrica de Nueva Orleans.Hurricane Ida damaged New Orleans' power grid.This sentence shows how a natural disaster can affect the red eléctrica.Tatoeba #10456918 by Seael, translation #10275602 by Hybrid
- El mantenimiento de la red eléctrica es crucial para garantizar un suministro confiable de energía eléctrica en nuestra ciudad.The maintenance of the power grid is crucial to guarantee a reliable supply of electric energy in our city.
- La red eléctrica es muy antigua.The power grid is very old.
- Necesitamos modernizar la red eléctrica.We need to modernize the power grid.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are discussing a city news report.
- Mateo¿Escuchaste sobre la red eléctrica?Did you hear about the power grid?
- ElenaSí, hay mucha inestabilidad en la zona.Yes, there is a lot of instability in the area.
- MateoEspero que lo arreglen pronto.I hope they fix it soon.
- ElenaYo también, es un problema grave.Me too, it is a serious problem.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “power grid” translations, 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 red, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
