social
/soˈθjal/
The Spanish word social means social.
In Spanish, social is used to describe things related to society or social structures, such as a social network or a social being.
Meaning: extroverted or outgoing (adj)
Which one should you use?
While social refers to things related to society or social structures, sociable is the preferred adjective to describe a person who is extroverted or enjoys the company of others.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of social is sociales.
How do you pronounce it?
/soˈθjal/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use social to mean 'extroverted' (for example, saying Él es muy social). In these cases, using sociable is more natural when describing a person's personality.
Did you know?
- The Latin root socius used in social originally meant 'ally' or 'partner' in a military or political context, rather than just a friend.
- If you describe a person as social instead of sociable, a native speaker might think you are saying they are a 'social creature' like a bee or an ant, rather than describing their personality.
- While English speakers use 'social' to mean 'outgoing', using that exact word in Spanish often shifts the focus to 'social justice' or 'social problems' if the context is serious.
Examples in context
- Tom es un bebedor social.Tom is a social drinker.This sentence shows how to use social to describe a type of drinker.Tatoeba #4936013 by Peripes, translation #4935938 by Hybrid
- El hombre es un ser social.Man is a social being.This sentence illustrates the use of social regarding a social being.Tatoeba #1476236 by marcelostockle, translation #2909298 by mervert1
- Tatoeba no es una red social.Tatoeba is not a social network.This sentence demonstrates how to use social when discussing a social network.Tatoeba #4571213 by DarkHollow, translation #4567907 by Hybrid
- 102 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are talking about a new coworker.
- DanielDaniel es muy social con todos.Daniel is very outgoing with everyone.
- ElenaSí, Elena también es muy social.Yes, Elena is very outgoing too.
- DanielMe alegra que seas tan social.I'm glad you are so outgoing.
- ElenaGracias, me gusta conocer gente.Thanks, I like meeting people.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry social, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries social, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
