Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sujeto | /suˈxeto/ | masculine |
| materia | /maˈteɾja/ | feminine |
| tema | /ˈtema/ | masculine |
| asunto | /aˈsunto/ | masculine |
| subjeto | /subˈxeto/ | masculine |
Spanish uses different words for 'subject' based on whether you are discussing a conversation, an academic field, a business matter or a grammatical entity. Use tema for the topic of a discussion, a book or a conversation. Use materia or the formal term asignatura to refer to an academic subject or a specific course of study. Use asunto when referring to a business matter, an issue or the subject line of an email. In linguistics, sujeto refers to the grammatical subject of a sentence. Additionally, the phrase sujeto a is used as an adjective to mean that something is conditional upon or dependent on something else.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the specific type of 'subject' you mean: tema is the common term for a topic of conversation. materia and asignatura are used for academic subjects. asunto is used for professional matters or email subjects. And sujeto is used for the grammatical subject. In Spain, the word cuestión is sometimes used to describe a subject or a matter.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the word cuestión is occasionally used to convey the idea of a subject or a matter.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The words provided have different genders: materia is feminine, while tema, asunto and sujeto are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/suˈxeto/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using subjeto, as this is a common spelling error and is not a correct word in Spanish.
Did you know?
- While sujeto means 'subject' in grammar, it is also commonly used as a noun to mean 'guy' or 'fellow', often with a slightly suspicious or dismissive tone.
- The word materia is a linguistic sibling to the Spanish word madera, which means 'wood'.
- The word tema is used in Spanish to describe not only a topic but also a musical 'theme' or a song, similar to how 'track' is used in English.
Examples in context
- Este tema es tabú.This subject is taboo.This sentence is useful for describing a taboo tema.Tatoeba #10244610 by Seael, translation #3995820 by mervert1
- Ella cambió de tema.She changed the subject.This sentence is useful for describing the action of changing a tema.Tatoeba #623930 by Shishir, translation #317526 by CK
- ¿Qué tema te gusta más?Which subject do you like the most?This sentence is useful for asking about a preferred tema.Tatoeba #1205959 by cueyayotl, translation #1191337 by FiRez
- Me encanta la materia de química.I love the subject of chemistry.
- La asignatura de física es muy interesante.The subject of physics is very interesting.
- Mi amigo y yo discutimos muchos temas interesantes.My friend and I discuss many interesting subjects.
- Tenemos que tratar ese asunto importante en la reunión.We need to discuss that important subject in the meeting.
- ¿Podemos hablar sobre la cuestión del medio ambiente?Can we talk about the subject of the environment?
- 86 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are discussing a grammar lesson.
- JavierNo entiendo cuál es el sujeto de esta oración.I don't understand which is the subject of this sentence.
- ElenaEl sujeto es la persona que hace la acción.The subject is the person who performs the action.
- JavierEntonces, ¿el sujeto en este caso es el perro?So, is the subject in this case the dog?
- ElenaSí, Javier, ese es el sujeto correcto.Yes, Javier, that is the correct subject.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “subject” translations and entries sujeto, materia, tema, asunto, subjeto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries asunto, materia, tema, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
