Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| levantamiento de potencia | /lebantamjento de potenθja/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /lebantamjento de potensja/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| potencia | /poˈtenθja/ /poˈtensja/ |
feminine |
The term refers to the strength sport of powerlifting. While the translated phrase is a direct way to describe the sport, the English term powerlifting is also widely understood among Spanish-speaking powerlifters.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase levantamiento de potencia is a literal translation of 'lifting of power', where levantamiento means 'lifting' and potencia means 'power'.
Which one should you use?
The phrase levantamiento de potencia is the full descriptive term, whereas potencia on its own refers specifically to 'power' as a feminine noun.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In many fitness communities, it is common to use the English term powerlifting directly instead of using the translated version.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, powerlifting may be expressed as Levantamiento de Fuerza.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the noun levantamiento is masculine, the full phrase levantamiento de potencia is treated as a masculine noun phrase.
Did you know?
- The word levantamiento is also the standard term for a political or military 'uprising'.
- The word potencia can also be used in a mathematical context to refer to an 'exponent' or 'power'.
- In Spanish, potencia is the word used to describe the 'horsepower' of a vehicle engine as well as athletic strength.
Examples in context
- El levantamiento de potencia es un deporte muy exigente.Powerlifting is a very demanding sport.
- Él entrena para una competencia de levantamiento de potencia.He is training for a powerlifting competition.
- Me gusta mucho el levantamiento de potencia.I really like powerlifting.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are talking about their gym routines.
- LucíaAlejandro, ¿qué deporte practicas en el gimnasio?Alejandro, what sport do you practice at the gym?
- AlejandroHago levantamiento de potencia para ganar fuerza.I do powerlifting to gain strength.
- LucíaParece difícil, ¿entrenas con un coach?It seems difficult, do you train with a coach?
- AlejandroSí, es necesario para evitar lesiones.Yes, it is necessary to avoid injuries.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “powerlifting” translations and entries potencia, 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.
