Media and technology (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Media and technology vocabulary
This comprehensive vocabulary list will help you discuss all aspects of media and technology in Spanish. Understanding these terms is essential for GCSE Spanish, as technology plays such an important role in our daily lives and frequently appears in speaking and writing tasks.
Learning technology vocabulary is particularly valuable because many terms are cognates (similar to English words), making them easier to remember once you understand the pronunciation patterns.
Essential vocabulary
Technology devices and equipment
| Spanish | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| el ordenador | computer | masculine |
| el móvil | mobile phone | masculine |
| la tableta | tablet | feminine |
| la cámara | camera | feminine |
| el teléfono | telephone | masculine |
| la televisión | television | feminine |
| el portátil | laptop | masculine |
| el dispositivo | device, gadget | masculine |
| la pantalla | screen, monitor | feminine |
| el teclado | keyboard | masculine |
Always learn technology nouns with their gender articles (el/la) from the beginning. Gender patterns don't always follow typical rules with borrowed technology terms.
Internet and digital terms
| Spanish | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| el Internet | internet | masculine |
| la red | network, net | feminine |
| digital | digital | adjective |
| online | online | adjective |
| la contraseña | password | feminine |
| el sitio web | website | masculine |
| la página | page | feminine |
| el blog | blog | masculine |
| el canal | channel | masculine |
| social | social | adjective |
Communication and media
| Spanish | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| comunicar | to communicate | verb |
| el contacto | contact | masculine |
| la conversación | conversation | feminine |
| el mensaje | message | masculine |
| el correo electrónico | masculine | |
| los medios de comunicación | media | masculine plural |
| la radio | radio | feminine |
| la prensa | press | feminine |
| el periódico | newspaper | masculine |
| el programa | programme | masculine |
The term los medios de comunicación is the formal way to say "media" in Spanish. In casual conversation, you might also hear los medios as a shortened form.
Technology actions
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| bajar | to download | also means "to go down" |
| buscar | to search, look for | regular -ar verb |
| enviar | to send | regular -ar verb |
| compartir | to share | regular -ir verb |
| conectar | to connect | regular -ar verb |
| cargar | to charge, load | regular -ar verb |
| guardar | to save, keep | regular -ar verb |
| grabar | to record | regular -ar verb |
| funcionar | to work, function | regular -ar verb |
| navegar | to surf, browse | regular -ar verb |
Descriptive terms
| Spanish | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| moderno/a | modern | agrees with noun |
| rápido/a | fast, quick | agrees with noun |
| lento/a | slow | agrees with noun |
| peligroso/a | dangerous | agrees with noun |
| seguro/a | safe, secure | agrees with noun |
| fácil | easy | doesn't change |
| difícil | difficult | doesn't change |
| gratis | free (of charge) | doesn't change |
Common mistake to avoid: Don't forget that adjectives like moderno/a, rápido/a, peligroso/a must agree with the gender of the noun they describe. However, adjectives ending in -e or consonants (like fácil, difícil) stay the same for both genders.
Example sentences
Here are some practical examples showing how to use this vocabulary in context. Pay attention to how the verb tenses and gender agreements work in different situations:
Worked Examples: Technology Vocabulary in Context
Present tense:
- Uso mi móvil para navegar por Internet. (I use my mobile phone to browse the Internet.)
- Mi hermana comparte muchas fotos en las redes sociales. (My sister shares lots of photos on social media.)
Past tense:
- Ayer bajé una aplicación nueva para mi tableta. (Yesterday I downloaded a new app for my tablet.)
- Enviamos un correo electrónico a nuestros abuelos. (We sent an email to our grandparents.)
Future tense:
- Mañana voy a grabar un vídeo con mi cámara. (Tomorrow I'm going to record a video with my camera.)
- El técnico va a reparar nuestro ordenador. (The technician is going to repair our computer.)
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Understanding the patterns in technology vocabulary will help you master this topic more effectively.
Gender patterns to remember:
- Most words ending in -a are feminine: la cámara, la tableta, la contraseña
- Most words ending in -o are masculine: el teléfono, el programa, el vídeo
- Words ending in -ción are always feminine: la comunicación, la generación, la protección
Pronunciation notes:
- The letter 'g' before 'e' or 'i' sounds like the 'h' in "house": página (PAH-hee-nah)
- 'J' always sounds like the 'h' in "house": jugar (hoo-GAHR)
- Double 'r' is strongly rolled: error (eh-RROHR)
Useful phrases for technology conversations:
- ¿Tienes wifi? - Do you have wifi?
- Mi móvil no funciona - My mobile phone doesn't work
- ¿Cuál es tu contraseña? - What's your password?
Translation practice
Test your understanding with these translation exercises. Pay careful attention to gender agreements and verb tenses.
Translation Exercise
Spanish to English:
- Necesito cargar mi móvil porque la batería está muy baja.
- Los jóvenes pasan demasiado tiempo navegando por las redes sociales.
English to Spanish: 3. I always share photos with my friends online. 4. My laptop is very slow when I try to download videos.
Answers:
- I need to charge my mobile phone because the battery is very low.
- Young people spend too much time browsing social media.
- Siempre comparto fotos con mis amigos online.
- Mi portátil es muy lento cuando trato de bajar vídeos.
Key Points to Remember:
- Technology vocabulary often includes many cognates (words similar to English) - look out for these to make learning easier
- Gender matters - learn each noun with its article (el/la) from the beginning
- Many technology terms are borrowed from English but pronounced with Spanish sounds
- Verb conjugations follow regular patterns - practice with common technology actions like enviar, bajar, and compartir
- Context is key - the same word can have different meanings (like red meaning both "network" and "net")