Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| envío | /emˈbio/ | masculine |
| cargamento | /kaɾɡaˈmento/ | masculine |
| remesa | /reˈmesa/ | feminine |
All three terms refer to a load of goods, but they are used in different specialized contexts. Envío is the most common and generic term for a shipment, typically used when talking about a package or a delivery service. Cargamento refers to a large, physical load of goods, such as cargo being moved by a ship or a truck. Remesa is used in business or financial contexts, often referring to a shipment of money (a remittance) or a specific batch of goods sent as part of a series.
Which one should you use?
The choice between these words depends on what kind of shipment you mean: use envío for the general concept of a delivery or a package being sent. Use cargamento for technical descriptions of bulk cargo or a physical load. And use remesa for business batches or money transfers.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural forms are envíos for envío, cargamentos for cargamento and remesas for remesa.
How do you pronounce it?
/emˈbio/
Did you know?
- The word envío comes from enviar, which shares a root with the English word 'envoy'.
- While remesa can mean a shipment of goods, in modern Spanish it is most commonly used to describe the money migrant workers send back to their home countries.
- The word cargar (to load), which forms cargamento, is also used in many Spanish dialects to mean 'to charge' a price or 'to charge' a battery.
Examples in context
- ¿Ha llegado ya la remesa?Has the shipment arrived yet?This sentence is useful for asking about the arrival of a remesa.Tatoeba #1851048 by teskmon, translation #23680 by CK
- Con la lluvia se averió el cargamento.The shipment was damaged by the rain.This sentence is useful for describing how a cargamento was damaged.Tatoeba #2259380 by cueyayotl, translation #2259379 by _undertoad
- En caso que el envío se retrase, contamos con un seguro especial de retrasos.In case the shipment is delayed, we have special delay insurance.This sentence is useful for discussing delays related to an envío.Tatoeba #1258588 by arashi_29, translation #23689 by CC
- Estoy rastreando mi envíoI'm tracking my shipment
- La remesa llegará mañanaThe shipment will arrive tomorrow
- El despacho de la mercancía se está demorandoThe shipment clearance is being delayed
- ¿Has recibido mi paquete?Have you received my shipment?
- La entrega se realizará mañanaThe shipment will be made tomorrow
Example conversation
Daniel and María are discussing logistics in a warehouse.
- Daniel¿Dónde está el envío de madera?Where is the shipment of wood?
- MaríaDaniel, el camión acaba de llegar.Daniel, the truck just arrived.
- DanielPerfecto, vamos a descargar el envío.Perfect, let's unload the shipment.
- MaríaYo te ayudo con eso.I will help you with that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shipment” translations and entries envío, cargamento, remesa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
