recomendación
/rekomendaˈθjon/
The English word 'referral' is translated into Spanish as recomendación.
recomendación is the standard translation for a referral, but it is most commonly used in the context of a recommendation or a suggestion rather than a formal medical or professional transfer.
Meaning: act or process of transferring (noun)
Which one should you use?
In medical or administrative contexts, the word remisión is often used to describe the formal act of a doctor referring a patient to a specialist.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of recomendación is recomendaciones.
How do you pronounce it?
/rekomendaˈθjon/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, providing a recomendación is viewed as a social contract of trust. You are often seen as personally vouching for someone's integrity and character, not just their professional skills.
- Spanish often distinguishes between the process and the person. While the act is a remisión or recomendación, the person being referred is called a referido.
- The root of recomendar is linked to the Latin 'mandare', which means 'to order' or 'to entrust'. This suggests that to give a referral is, at its heart, to entrust someone with a task or a person.
Examples in context
- ¿Podría proporcionarme una referencia para este puesto de trabajo?Could you provide me with a referral for this job position?
- ¿Podría darme una recomendación para un médico especialista en esta área?Could you give me a referral for a specialist doctor in this area?
- Aceptamos cualquier recomendación de nuevos clientes.We accept any referral of new clients.
- Tu recomendación fue muy útil para la empresa.Your referral was very useful for the company.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are discussing a job opening.
- SofíaHola Alejandro, ¿estás buscando trabajo actualmente?Hi Alejandro, are you currently looking for a job?
- AlejandroSí, estoy buscando algo nuevo en mi área.Yes, I am looking for something new in my field.
- SofíaPuedo darte una recomendación en mi empresa.I can give you a referral at my company.
- Alejandro¡Muchas gracias, Sofía! Eso me ayudaría mucho.Thank you so much, Sofía! That would help me a lot.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry recomendación, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries recomendación, CC BY-SA 4.0.
