científico
/θjenˈtifiko/masculine
The Spanish word for scientist is científico.
The term refers to a person whose activities involve the use of the scientific method. It can also function as an adjective to describe something as being scientific.
Meaning: one whose activities make use of the scientific method (noun)
Which one should you use?
When used as a noun, the word refers to the person performing scientific work. When used as an adjective, it describes something related to science. For example, the adverbial form científicamente means 'scientifically'.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a noun, the word changes based on gender and number. Use científico for a male scientist and científica for a female scientist. For a group of male scientists or a mixed-gender group, use the plural científicos, while a group consisting only of female scientists is referred to as científicas. As an adjective, it agrees with the noun it modifies, appearing as científico/a.
How do you pronounce it?
/θjenˈtifiko/
Did you know?
- While English uses 'scientist' for almost any researcher, in Spanish, you might hear people use investigador more frequently to describe someone conducting research in a lab.
- While 'scientist' is a relatively modern English word coined in 1833, the root of científico comes from the Latin scientia, meaning 'knowledge'.
- Because científico is an adjective, it can describe a 'scientific' approach to mundane tasks, like cocina científica for molecular gastronomy.
Examples in context
- Es un gran científico.He's a great scientist.This sentence is useful for describing a male scientist.Tatoeba #1987288 by hayastan, translation #2476310 by Dejo
- Él es un gran científico.He is a great scientist.Tatoeba #1335578 by marcelostockle, translation #293549 by CK
- Él es científico y músico.He is a scientist and musician.Tatoeba #2462733 by hayastan, translation #294472 by CK
- Stephanie es una científica dedicada a la investigación en física cuántica.Stephanie is a scientist dedicated to quantum physics research.
- Juan es un investigador especializado en biología marina.Juan is a researcher specializing in marine biology.
- Albert Einstein fue un reconocido genio científico del siglo XX.Albert Einstein was a renowned scientific genius of the 20th century.
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are talking about a documentary.
- MateoEse científico es muy famoso.That scientist is very famous.
- SofíaSí, él es un gran científico.Yes, he is a great scientist.
- Mateo¿Te gustaría ser científico también?Would you like to be a scientist too?
- SofíaNo, yo prefiero ser doctora.No, I prefer to be a doctor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scientist” translations and entries científico, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
