pequeña empresa
/pekeɲa empɾesa/from spelling rules
In Spanish, small business is translated as pequeña empresa.
Meaning: company (noun)
Which one should you use?
While pequeña empresa is the standard term, pyme is a common acronym used in business contexts to refer to small and medium-sized enterprises. Microempresa refers specifically to a micro-sized business.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, small business is often referred to as negocio pequeño or as PYME. In Spain, you can use pequeña empresa or microempresa to refer to a small business.
How does it change in a sentence?
Pequeña empresa is feminine, so any adjectives modifying it must also be in the feminine form. To form the plural, both the adjective and the noun must be changed to their plural forms, resulting in pequeñas empresas.
How do you pronounce it?
/pekeɲa empɾesa/
Did you know?
- The word empresa shares an ancestral root with the English verb 'to grasp' or 'to seize', stemming from the Latin 'prehendere' which means 'to catch' or 'to take hold of'.
- In Spanish, the word empresa can refer to a business or a daring feat and venture, similar to the English word 'enterprise'.
- While 'small business' is a neutral term in English, calling a business a negocio in Spanish can sometimes sound much more informal or even imply a 'deal' or 'scheme' depending on the context.
Examples in context
- Hoy tuve una reunión con una pequeña empresa de diseño gráfico.Today I had a meeting with a small design firm.
- Voy a visitar una microempresa en el centro de la ciudad.I am going to visit a small business in the city center.
- Ella es dueña de una pequeña empresa.She is the owner of a small business.
- Ella dirige una pequeña empresa.She runs a small company.
- Es una pequeña empresa familiar.It is a small family business.
- Mi hermano abrió una pequeña empresa.My brother started a small company.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are talking about a new job opportunity.
- Elena¿Es una gran corporación?Is it a big corporation?
- DanielNo, es una pequeña empresa.No, it is a small company.
- ElenaEso suena muy bien para ti.That sounds very good for you.
- DanielSí, me gusta el ambiente.Yes, I like the atmosphere.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries empresa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
