Talking about what you do for a living is one of the most common topics in any conversation. This vocabulary list will give you the essential words you need to ask someone about their job and to describe your own. You'll use these words when meeting new people, making small talk, or even filling out forms. Many words for professions in Spanish are cognates, meaning they look and sound similar to their English counterparts (like 'doctor' or 'profesor'), which makes them easier to remember. A key grammatical point is gender. Many job titles change their ending for men and women (e.g., 'el cocinero' vs. 'la cocinera'), while others use the same word for both and only change the article ('el artista' vs. 'la artista'). This list focuses on high-frequency, practical vocabulary used in Latin America. For example, you'll learn 'mesero' for waiter, which is common across the Americas, instead of 'camarero' which is primarily used in Spain. Mastering these words will make your conversations sound much more natural and fluent.
to work
Yo trabajo en una oficina de lunes a viernes. — I work in an office from Monday to Friday.
job, work
¿Te gusta tu nuevo trabajo? — Do you like your new job?
profession
Ser doctor es una profesión muy respetada. — Being a doctor is a very respected profession.
student
Hay muchos estudiantes internacionales en la universidad. — There are many international students at the university.
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doctor
Fui al doctor porque me sentía muy mal. — I went to the doctor because I felt very sick.
nurse
La enfermera me puso una inyección. — The nurse gave me a shot.
dentist
Tengo una cita con la dentista mañana por la mañana. — I have an appointment with the dentist tomorrow morning.
police officer
Un policía me ayudó cuando me perdí en la ciudad. — A police officer helped me when I got lost in the city.
firefighter
Los bomberos apagaron el incendio rápidamente. — The firefighters put out the fire quickly.
teacher, professor
Mi profesora de español es de Colombia. — My Spanish teacher is from Colombia.
secretary
La secretaria te puede dar la información que necesitas. — The secretary can give you the information you need.
boss
Mi jefa es muy exigente, pero justa. — My boss is very demanding, but fair.
manager
Si tienes un problema, habla con el gerente de la tienda. — If you have a problem, speak with the store manager.
salesperson
Una vendedora me ayudó a encontrar mi talla. — A salesperson helped me find my size.
engineer
La ingeniera diseñó el nuevo puente de la ciudad. — The engineer designed the city's new bridge.
lawyer
Necesito consultar a un abogado sobre este contrato. — I need to consult a lawyer about this contract.
journalist
El periodista escribió un artículo sobre la situación económica. — The journalist wrote an article about the economic situation.
waiter / waitress
El mesero nos trajo el menú. En España, es más común decir 'camarero'. — The waiter brought us the menu. In Spain, it's more common to say 'camarero'.
cook, chef
Mi hermano es cocinero en un restaurante italiano. — My brother is a cook in an Italian restaurant.
mechanic
Necesito llevar el carro al mecánico porque hace un ruido extraño. — I need to take the car to the mechanic because it's making a strange noise.
driver
El conductor del bus fue muy amable. También se usa la palabra 'chofer'. — The bus driver was very nice. The word 'chofer' is also used.
hairdresser, barber
Voy al peluquero una vez al mes para cortarme el pelo. — I go to the hairdresser once a month to get my hair cut.
carpenter
El carpintero hizo una mesa de madera para mi cocina. — The carpenter made a wooden table for my kitchen.
artist
Frida Kahlo es mi artista favorita. — Frida Kahlo is my favorite artist.
musician
Mi vecino es músico y toca la guitarra todas las noches. — My neighbor is a musician and plays the guitar every night.
singer
Shakira es una cantante colombiana muy famosa. — Shakira is a very famous Colombian singer.
actor / actress
Gael García Bernal es un actor mexicano muy conocido. — Gael García Bernal is a well-known Mexican actor.