Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| premium | /ˈpɾimjum/ /ˈpɾemjum/ |
| prémium | /ˈpɾemjum/ |
In Spanish, premium is frequently used as an anglicism in business, marketing and technology contexts to denote a high-quality or paid tier of service. If you are describing something as high quality in a formal setting, you might use Alta calidad, De primera categoría, Exclusivo or De lujo. When referring to a prize or award, you can use premio or the forms premium and prémium.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish this from the Spanish word prima, which is used when referring to an insurance premium or a financial bonus.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the term de alta gama is commonly used to refer to premium products or services.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpɾimjum/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use premium when you mean an insurance premium or a financial bonus. Use prima instead.
Did you know?
- While 'premium' is an English loanword in Spanish, it is a doublet of the native word premio, meaning they share a common ancestor despite looking different.
- The word premium is often written with an accent as prémium to align with Spanish stress rules for words ending in consonants other than 'n' or 's'.
- In business contexts, using de lujo instead of premium shifts the meaning from a 'paid tier' to something that is physically opulent or luxurious.
Examples in context
- Normalmente empresas de impresión de todo el mundo estarán dispuestas a pagar quizás un 20 por ciento premium para comprar una impresora de Alemania, ya que las impresoras alemanas son muy sólidas y están mecanizadas con tolerancias exigentes.Printing firms around the world are generally willing to pay perhaps a 20-percent premium to buy a printing press from Germany, because the German presses are very solidly built and are machined to exacting tolerances.This example shows how a company might pay a premium to acquire high-quality equipment.Tatoeba #12253047 by Fueyes, translation #3442678 by Objectivesea
- Este hotel ofrece un servicio de primera categoría.This hotel offers a first-class service.
- ¡Probé un vino de primera anoche!I tried a top-notch wine last night!
- Este servicio ofrece un contenido premium de alta calidad.This service offers premium high-quality content.
- Solo los usuarios premium pueden ver los videos sin anuncios.Only premium users can watch videos without ads.
Example conversation
Javier and María are discussing their streaming service subscription.
- Javier¿Vale la pena pagar la suscripción premium?Is it worth paying for the premium subscription?
- MaríaSí, el contenido premium es mucho mejor.Yes, the premium content is much better.
- JavierEntonces, ¿debería contratarla yo también?Then, should I subscribe too?
- MaríaDefinitivamente, Javier, te va a encantar.Definitely, Javier, you are going to love it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “premium” translations and entries premium, prémium, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries premium, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
