volátil
/boˈlatil/
The Spanish word for volatile is volátil.
When describing a situation, volátil means potentially violent. While it can also be used to describe a person's temperament, in political or social contexts, it specifically describes a situation prone to sudden, violent change.
Meaning: (of a situation) potentially violent (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of volátil is volátiles.
How do you pronounce it?
/boˈlatil/
Did you know?
- The word volátil is an example of a 'cultismo', a word borrowed directly from Latin that has remained almost unchanged in spelling and meaning over centuries.
- The word volátil shares its root with the Spanish word volar meaning 'to fly'. This reflects the original idea of something so light or unstable that it could take flight.
- Spanish uses volátil to describe the 'volatility' of voters in an election, meaning they are undecided and prone to sudden shifts in loyalty.
Examples in context
- ¿Es volátil el elemento mercurio?Is elemental mercury volatile?This sentence is useful for asking about the properties of the element mercury using volátil.Tatoeba #4462483 by mervert1, translation #3437500 by mervert1
- El mercado financiero puede ser volátil, por lo que es necesario tomar decisiones basadas en análisis sólidos.The financial market can be volatile, so it is necessary to make decisions based on solid analysis.
- La situación política en esa región es demasiado inestable en este momento.The political situation in that region is too volatile at the moment.
- No me gusta esa relación, es demasiado cambiante y nunca sé qué esperar.I don't like that relationship, it's too volatile, and I never know what to expect.
- La situación política es muy volátil.The political situation is very volatile.
- El ambiente en la protesta era volátil.The atmosphere at the protest was volatile.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are discussing the news in a cafe.
- MateoLa situación en la frontera es volátil.The situation at the border is volatile.
- MaríaSí, parece que puede estallar en cualquier momento.Yes, it seems like it could explode at any moment.
- MateoDebemos tener mucho cuidado.We must be very careful.
- MaríaTienes razón, Mateo.You are right, Mateo.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry volátil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
