productivo
/pɾoduɡˈtibo/
The English word productive translates to Spanish as productivo. Wiktionary also lists producente.
Meaning: yielding good or useful results, constructive (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| productivo | /pɾoduɡˈtibo/ |
| producente | /pɾoduθente/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /pɾodusente/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
This adjective describes something that is yielding good or useful results or is constructive.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use the feminine form productiva for feminine nouns, the masculine plural form productivos for masculine plural nouns and the feminine plural form productivas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾoduɡˈtibo/
Did you know?
- While English speakers often say 'I had a productive day', a Spanish speaker is more likely to say tuve un día muy provechoso to express the same feeling of having used their time well.
- Spanish often uses the verb rendir to express the idea of being 'productive' in terms of performance or yielding a result, rather than using the adjective productivo.
- The adjective producente is often used in legal or formal contexts to describe something that produces a specific legal effect or consequence, rather than just being 'useful'.
Examples in context
- No hicimos nada productivos en estas vacaciones.We didn't do anything productive during these vacations.This sentence shows how to use productivo when talking about activities during vacations.Tatoeba #1698294 by hayastan, translation #3143399 by OJR1
- Deberías pasar menos tiempo quejándote y más haciendo algo productivo.You should spend less time complaining and more time doing something productive.This sentence uses productivo to suggest doing something useful instead of complaining.Tatoeba #1344513 by marcelostockle, translation #909594 by CK
- ¿Eres productivo?Are you productive?This sentence is a simple way to ask if someone is productivo.Tatoeba #4394509 by teskmon, translation #3172339 by CK
- El equipo ha sido muy productivo durante el proyecto.The team has been very productive during the project.
- Necesitamos mejorar nuestra producción para ser más productivos.We need to enhance our production to be more productive.
- Lucía siempre está trabajando, no para ni un segundo. Es muy productiva.Lucía is always working, she doesn't stop for a second. She's very productive.
- El nuevo becario es una persona que no para ni un segundo. Es súper productivo.The new intern is someone who doesn't stop for a second. He's super productive.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are discussing their work day.
- ElenaHoy tuve un día muy productivo.I had a very productive day today.
- Mateo¡Qué bien! Yo no avancé casi nada.That's great! I barely made any progress.
- ElenaQuizás necesitas un horario más productivo.Maybe you need a more productive schedule.
- MateoTienes razón, voy a organizarme mejor.You're right, I'm going to organize myself better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “productive” translations and entries productivo, producente, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
