Speaking Spanish in casual conversations is a rewarding experience. Sure, native Spanish speakers converse at a really fast pace. But, if you ask them to slow down, they will—and they will probably try to help you understand and be part of the conversation.

At the end of the day, there’s a reason why Spanish-speaking countries are said to have some of the friendliest people!

But what happens when, instead of an informal chat over some wine and tapas, you have to face a doctor’s appointment or a super important business meeting? Formal situations will call for advanced Spanish words, which might be scary for those who are still learning.

Namely, you’ll have to step up your game in order to succeed in conversations related to higher education, business, the law, and even medicine. 

Don’t worry, though! You can be prepared for all those kinds of situations! SpanishPod101 is here to help with this guide to the advanced Spanish words you’ll need to thrive in a variety of contexts. Also, stick around for some bonus expressions that will help you ace your next Spanish essay.

¡Que lo disfrutes! (“Enjoy!”)

Do business in Spanish like a pro!

Table of Contents

1. Advanced Academic Words
2. Advanced Business Words
3. Advanced Medical Words
4. Advanced Legal Words
5. Bonus: Alternative Words for Acing a Spanish Essay
6. Final Thoughts

1. Advanced Academic Words

One of the reasons people move to Spain is to study, whether that means studying the Spanish language itself or pursuing another subject of interest. However, one must keep in mind that the academic environment is much more formal than everyday Spanish life. 

Especially if you have to write essays, compose a thesis, or discuss a topic in class, you’ll need to master some advanced Spanish vocabulary related to the academic world. Of course, if you forget some of the most common classroom phrases in Spanish, you can always head over to SpanishPod101.com to review them!

Here you’ll find the essential words related to studies and training, so you’ll be prepared for everything from exams to seminars. We have also included a section on advanced Spanish words that’ll help you defend your work or thesis.

You’ll notice that many words are similar to their English counterparts, as formal or niche words tend to evolve less in languages. This means you’re one step ahead in mastering advanced Spanish!

1 – Studies and Training

Estudios

Studies

Formación

Training / Studies

Formación is a common word used to describe one’s academic curriculum in formal situations (i.e., a job interview). It’s more generic than estudios, as it applies to both formal and informal training/education. Se formó como mecánico pero acabó yendo a la universidad para completar sus estudios en ingeniería. → “He was trained as a mechanic, but he ended up going to university to finish his engineering studies.”

Curso	Training course
Conferencia	Conference
Seminario	Seminar
Examen	Exam
Redacción	Essay
Trabajo	Paper
Avaluación	Assessment

Carrera	Degree
False friend alert!  The word carrera, very similar to the word “career,” does mean the same as its English counterpart in work-related contexts. However, in the academic world, carrera also means “degree”! Estudió la carrera de Enfermería y luego tuvo una carrera meteórica en el hospital. → “She studied a nursing degree and she later had a meteoric career in the hospital.”

Graduado	Graduate
Doctorado	PhD
Competencias	Competences
Plan de estudios	Syllabus

¿Cuál es el plan de estudios de tu carrera? (“What’s the syllabus of your degree?”)

2 – Defending Your Thesis

Investigación	Research
Investigador	Researcher
Autor / Autora	Author
Sujeto	Subject / Exhibit
Muestra	Sample
Análisis	Analysis
Experimento	Experiment
Demostración	Demonstration / Proof
Comprobación / Verificación	Verification
Resultado	Result
Campo	Field
Método	Method
Justificación	Justification
Reflexión / Consideración	Consideration
Opinión	Opinion

Argumento	Argument
Take into account that the Spanish word argumento never refers to a quarrel.  Instead, if you wanted to indicate that two scholars are having “a heated argument,” you would say they’re having una discusión acalorada.

Ambiguo	Ambiguous
Polémica / Controversia	Controversy

Los investigadores (“The researchers”)

2. Advanced Business Words

Similar to entering the Spanish academic world, finding a job that requires you to speak fluent Spanish is a challenging opportunity. First things first: You need to learn all the essential words related to the workplace.

You already know the basics, of course. But if you need to review, you can refer to the Spanish Job Vocabulary lesson on SpanishPod101.com.

Here are the advanced words in Spanish that will help you handle business like a pro!

Empresa	Business / Company
Empresa is the most common word used to refer to a business or company. However, you will hear the word compañía more and more frequently due to influence from the English language.

Multinacional	Multinational company
Asesoría	Consulting
Reunión	Meeting
Convención	Convention
Fiscalidad	Taxation
Factura	Bill
Tesorería	Treasury
Contabilidad	Finances / Accounting
Oferta	Offer
Contraoferta	Counteroffer
Estrategia	Strategy
Campaña	Campaign
Informe	Report
Salario	Salary / Wage

Convenio	Collective bargaining
In Spain, there are hundreds of convenios that apply to all kinds of different jobs. They establish a minimum wage, acceptable job conditions, and workers’ rights for each profession.  Don’t forget to check out your convenio if you’re looking for a job in Spain!

Contrato

Contract

¡Estás contratado! (“You’re hired!”)

Producto	Product
Suministro	Supply
Servicio	Service
Venta	Sale
Ganancias	Profit
Pérdidas	Loss
Auditoría	Audit
Declaración de la renta	Tax return
Trabajador asalariado	Worker (of a company)

Trabajador autónomo	Self-employed worker / Freelancer
From a fiscal point of view, there are two main types of workers in Spain: those who are employed by a company (trabajador asalariado) and those who are self-employed (trabajador autónomo).

Mercado

Job market

→ Want to learn more advanced Spanish for business or review the basics? SpanishPod101 has plenty of lessons that can help you prepare for the Spanish workplace.

3. Advanced Medical Words

Some of the most important advanced Spanish words are those related to the field of medicine. You never really think about these words until you urgently need to use them!

Having to visit the doctor is normally an unpleasant (and often unexpected) situation that can make us feel vulnerable, especially if we don’t understand the words he or she is saying. “Radiografía? What’s that supposed to mean? It sounds bad…!”

Don’t panic. Here is an advanced Spanish vocabulary word list that will prepare you for any medical situation!

Knowing medical vocabulary in Spanish will definitely help you feel more at ease!

Visita	Appointment
Radiografía	X-ray test
Biopsia	Biopsy
Ecografía	Sonogram
Médico general	General practitioner

Médico de cabecera / Médico de familia	Family doctor
Médico de cabecera or médico de familia refer to general practitioners who are assigned to the different users of the public healthcare system. As they know each of their patients and their background, they deal with most of the issues that don’t require a specialist. It’s important to have your own médico de cabecera if you live in Spain.

Médico especialista

Specialist

Médico residente	Resident doctor
This term applies to doctors who, after graduating medical school and passing a very demanding entry exam, specialize in their field of choice for four years.

Enfermero/a	Nurse
Auxiliar de enfermería	Nursing assistant
Dentista / Odontólogo/a	Dentist / Odontologist
Dermatólogo/a	Dermatologist
Cardiólogo/a	Cardiologist
Traumatólogo/a	Orthopedic surgeon
Ginecólogo/a	Gynecologist
Urólogo/a	Urologist
Ambulancia	Ambulance
Gripe	Flu

Tengo la gripe… (“I got the flu…”)

Gastroenteritis / Virus estomacal	Stomach flu
Infección de orina / Cistitis	Urinary tract infection / Cystitis
Insolación	Sunstroke
Intoxicación alimentaria	Food poisoning
Embolia	Stroke
Ataque al corazón / Infarto	Heart attack
Ataque de ansiedad	Panic attack
Demencia	Dementia
Coma	Coma

Receta médica	Medical prescription
Don’t forget your receta when going to the pharmacy! In Spain, many common drugs cannot be bought without a medical prescription.

Medicamento	Drug / Medication
Tratamiento	Treatment

→ Did something go wrong during your medical appointment? Here’s how you can complain about it in Spanish!

4. Advanced Legal Words 

Dealing with legal or bureaucratic situations is a classic example of when you would need to know advanced words in Spanish. Legal vocabulary is highly formal and technical, and it’s easy to feel frustrated if, for example, you can’t tell the difference between the abogado and the procurador.

With this advanced Spanish words list, you’ll learn the most important concepts of the legal world. Knowing these words will prepare you to face any situation involving the public administration or the court system.

Don’t forget to get yourself a good attorney, too!

¡Silencio en la sala! (“Order in the court!”)

Denuncia	Report
Demanda	Lawsuit
Solicitud	Request
Representante legal	Legal representative
Abogado	Attorney

Abogado de oficio	Public defender
In Spain, you have the right to have a defense attorney (abogado de oficio) assigned to you free of charge.

Procurador	Lawyer
Testigo	Witness
Acusado	Defendant
Denunciante	Accuser
Fiscal	Prosecutor
Juez	Judge
Tribunal	Court
Jurado	Jury
Juicio	Trial
Sentencia / Condena	Sentence

Recurso / Apelación	Appeal
Depending on the legal or bureaucratic process, the appeal will be called a recurso or an apelación.

Aprobación	Approval
Denegación	Rejection
Burocracia	Bureaucracy
Administración pública	Public administration
Funcionario	Public worker

5. Bonus: Alternative Words for Acing a Spanish Essay 

As promised, here is a bonus list of advanced Spanish words you can use to surprise your Spanish teacher! 

You already know how to describe objects, people, and feelings, and how to maintain a coherent and fluent discourse. The next step is to start introducing some “high-end” words (including helpful connectors) into your vocabulary that can substitute basic everyday words. Using them well can help you score higher on your writing tests.

Connectors can definitely help you seem more clever!

1 – Adjectives

For “big” and “long”:

Mayúsculo	Enormous / Tremendous
Considerable	Noteworthy
Prolongado	Extended
Extenso	Extensive
Vasto	Vast

For “important”:

Notable	Notable / Prominent
Destacado	Prominent
Significativo	Significant
Trascendental	Very, very important

For “small”:

Diminuto	Tiny
Reducido	Limited / Reduced
Insignificante	Insignificant
Minúsculo	Minuscule

¡Mira estos diminutos pollitos! (“Look at these tiny chickens!”)

2 – Adverbs

For “only” and “just”:

Solamente	Solely
Exclusivamente	Exclusively

Únicamente

Uniquely

Única y exclusivamente is a phrase that combines two of the words mentioned here. It means basically the same thing but helps reinforce the idea of “only.” Note: In Spanish, when using an adverb ending in -mente after another, you can ditch the -mente in all adverbs except the last one. Here’s an example: Está durmiendo tranquila, sosegada y pacíficamente. → “She’s sleeping calmly, serenely, and peacefully.”

Positive reinforcers:

Completamente	Completely
Totalmente	Totally
Íntegramente	Entirely
Obviamente	Obviously
Efectivamente	Indeed
Evidentemente	Evidently
Sin duda	Without a doubt
Por supuesto	Of course

Negative reinforcers:

Difícilmente	Hardly
Ligeramente	Slightly
Insuficientemente	Insufficiently
Levemente	Slightly
Pobremente	Poorly
Con dificultad	With difficulty

→ Move to the next level with these 100 Spanish adverbs!

3 – Connectors

For “likewise”:

También	Too / Also
Igualmente	Equally
Asimismo	Additionally

For “so”:

Así pues	So
Justamente	Precisely
Precisamente	Precisely
De este modo / De esta forma	Thus

For “however”:

Sin embargo	Nevertheless
Aunque	Although
Aun	Even if
Si bien	Albeit
No obstante	Despite
Pese a que	In spite of

For “moreover”:

Además	In addition
Es más	Moreover / Furthermore

For “regarding”:

En cuanto a	With regard to
Respecto a	Regarding / With respect to
En relación a	In relation to
A propósito de	Concerning

For “to sum up”:

En conclusión	In conclusion
En definitiva	Ultimately
En resumen	To sum up

¡Qué buen discurso! (“What a great speech!”)

6. Final Thoughts

In this guide to advanced Spanish words, you have learned the most important words in the academic, business, medical, and legal worlds. Also, the bonus section gave you a handful of tools you can use to ace your written exams or essays in Spanish class. You’re now prepared to face any type of formal situation! 

Did you know any of these words already? Which ones? 

Of course, you can still continue your journey of learning advanced Spanish! SpanishPod101.com has plenty of advanced Spanish lessons to help you gain knowledge, skills, and confidence. We will help you dive deeper into Spanish culture and flex your fluency in any situation. And don’t forget to check out the free vocabulary lists and other useful tools on SpanishPod101.com. They will make the path super fun!

¡Hasta pronto! (“See you soon!”)