spam
/ˈspam/masculine
The English word 'spam' can be translated into Spanish as spam.
spam is a masculine noun used to refer to undesired electronic content. If you wish to describe the action of sending such content, you can use the verb spamear to mean 'to spam' (both transitively and intransitively) or the more standard verb inundar to mean 'to flood' or 'to inundate'.
Meaning: undesired electronic content (noun)
Which one should you use?
While spamear is a colloquial anglicism used to describe the act of spamming, inundar is a more formal or standard way to express being flooded with messages.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal situations, you should use correo no deseado (unwanted mail) or mensaje no solicitado (unsolicited message). In informal settings, you might use correo basura (junk mail) or the verb spamear.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the term correo no deseado is commonly used. In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico, people often use the informal term correo basura instead of correo no deseado.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun spam is masculine and is typically used with the definite article el, such as in el spam.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈspam/
Did you know?
- Unlike the English 'spam', which refers to the meat product in its original context, the Spanish spam has almost entirely lost its connection to the canned food in everyday digital conversation.
- In some Latin American regions, spam is used as a general term for any repetitive annoyance, not just electronic messages.
- The verb spamear is a common 'Spanglish' creation that follows Spanish conjugation rules, even though it is not an official word in the RAE dictionary.
Examples in context
- ¿Es "SPAM" una sigla?Is "SPAM" an acronym?This example asks if the word spam is an acronym.Tatoeba #13274229 by Eremon, translation #12302564 by Miktsoanit
- Encontré tu e-mail en la carpeta de spam.I found your email in the spam folder.This example shows how to use the word spam when referring to an email folder.Tatoeba #2605412 by marcelostockle, translation #10795665 by Luornu
- Recibí mucho correo no deseado hoyI received a lot of spam today
- Recibí varios mensajes no solicitados en mi bandeja de entradaI received several unsolicited messages in my inbox
- Revisa tu carpeta de correo basura, algunos mensajes podrían haber llegado ahí por errorCheck your junk mail folder, some messages may have ended up there by mistake
- ¡Estoy harto de recibir mensajes no deseados en mi teléfono!I'm tired of receiving unwanted messages on my phone!
- Recibí mucho spam en mi cuenta nueva.I received a lot of spam in my new account.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are talking about their email accounts.
- María¿Has visto mucho spam últimamente, Alejandro?Have you seen much spam lately, Alejandro?
- AlejandroSí, mi bandeja de entrada está llena de spam.Yes, my inbox is full of spam.
- MaríaEs muy molesto tener que borrarlo todo.It is very annoying to have to delete it all.
- AlejandroTienes razón, María, es un problema.You are right, María, it is a problem.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spam” translations and entries spam, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
