recepcionista
/reθebθjoˈnista/feminine, masculine
The English word 'receptionist' is translated into Spanish as recepcionista. If unsure, use recepcionista. Wiktionary also lists secretaria.
Meaning: employee who receives visitors and/or calls, typically in an office setting (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| recepcionista | /reθebθjoˈnista/ /resebsjoˈnista/ |
feminine, masculine |
| secretaria | /sekɾeˈtaɾja/ | feminine |
The term recepcionista refers to an employee who receives visitors or handles calls, typically in an office or professional setting. It is the most common and widely used term for this role in Spanish.
Which one should you use?
recepcionista refers specifically to the person stationed at a reception desk. In contrast, secretaria is a feminine noun used to refer to a secretary.
How does it change in a sentence?
recepcionista is an epicene noun, meaning it uses the same form for both masculine and feminine genders. To form the plural, add -s to create recepcionistas.
How do you pronounce it?
/reθebθjoˈnista/
Did you know?
- In a professional Spanish setting, you would rarely call someone recepcionista to their face. Instead, you would use a title like señor or señora to be polite.
- The suffix -ista in recepcionista is a shared linguistic cousin with the English suffix '-ist', appearing in words like 'artist' or 'specialist'.
- While secretaria is a common alternative for 'receptionist', in modern Spanish business culture, the term asistente is increasingly used to sound more professional and less hierarchical.
Examples in context
- Mi hermana es recepcionista.My sister is a receptionist.This sentence shows how to use recepcionista to state someone's profession.Tatoeba #1086868 by Shishir, translation #1559444 by sam_m
- Mi recepcionista se llama Marta.My receptionist is called Marta.This sentence uses recepcionista to identify a specific person's name.Tatoeba #1086911 by Shishir, translation #13093366 by araneo
- Tom trabaja como recepcionista en un hotel.Tom works as a receptionist in a hotel.This sentence describes working as a recepcionista in a specific workplace.Tatoeba #8304949 by GuidoW, translation #5628420 by Hybrid
- Buenos días, ¿podría hablar con el/la recepcionista?Good morning, could I speak with the receptionist?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo is asking María for directions at an office building.
- María¿Dónde está el despacho del director?Where is the director's office?
- MateoPregúntale a la recepcionista de la entrada.Ask the receptionist at the entrance.
- MaríaGracias, ¿ella sabe dónde está?Thanks, does she know where it is?
- MateoSí, ella te ayudará con todo.Yes, she will help you with everything.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “receptionist” translations and entries recepcionista, secretaria, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries recepcionista, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
