fuerte
/ˈfweɾte/
The Spanish word for strong is fuerte.
The primary way to express being capable of producing great physical force is with fuerte. Other related terms include robusto/a for robust and poderoso/a for powerful. If you want to describe someone as being resilient, you can use resiliente. For idiomatic ways to describe strength, you might use tener agallas to say someone has guts or ser de hierro to say they are as strong as iron.
Meaning: capable of producing great physical force (adj)
Which one should you use?
While fuerte is the standard term for physical strength, poderoso/a emphasizes being powerful and robusto/a emphasizes being robust. For a personality that is resilient or powerful, the more formal poderoso/a is often used.
How does it change in a sentence?
It becomes fuertes in its plural form to match plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfweɾte/
Did you know?
- While fuerte means 'strong', it is also the standard word used to describe a 'loud' sound or voice.
- The word fuerte can also function as a noun in Spanish to mean a 'fortress' or a 'fort'.
- The English word 'forte', meaning a person's strong point, shares the same Latin root as the Spanish fuerte.
Examples in context
- El león es fuerte.A lion is strong.This example shows how to use fuerte to describe a lion.Tatoeba #1392517 by marcelostockle, translation #1392505 by CM
- Esa mujer es fuerte.That woman is strong.This example shows how to use fuerte to describe a woman.Tatoeba #2195270 by marcelostockle, translation #3250360 by Vincinho
- Él es alto y fuerte.He is tall and strong.This example shows how to use fuerte alongside another adjective.Tatoeba #4151394 by Leono, translation #302409 by CK
- La empresa ha demostrado una fuerte tendencia de crecimiento en los últimos años.The company has shown a strong growth trend in recent years.
- 248 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are moving boxes into a new house.
- AlejandroEsta caja es muy fuerte.This box is very strong.
- LucíaPero tú eres más fuerte que yo.But you are stronger than I am.
- AlejandroNecesitamos a alguien fuerte para mover el sofá.We need someone strong to move the sofa.
- LucíaYo puedo ayudar, soy fuerte también.I can help, I am strong too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “strong” translations and entries fuerte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fuerte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
