You likely have become somewhat of an expert on virtual learning in the past year! Let’s add some Spanish computer and technology vocabulary to your box of tricks to better connect with your virtual Spanish-speaking students. This will vocabulary will not only help you when you are doing virtual learning, but also with technology phrases back in the classroom. (Download a “cheat sheet” with all of these phrases, complete with a pronunciation guide.)
Related Blog Posts: Spanish Vocabulary and Resources for the COVID-19 Vaccine, Spanish Vocabulary for the Pandemic
Spanish Vocabulary for Hardware
| computer | la computadora |
| headphones | los audífonos/los auriculares |
| keyboard | el teclado |
| laptop | laptop/portatíl |
| microphone | el micrófono |
| mouse | el ratón |
| screen | la pantalla/el monitor |
Now that we have the basics down, let’s dive into more Spanish computer vocabulary for software, apps, and common learning tools like Google Classroom and Zoom.
Spanish Virtual Vocabulary Nouns
| User ID | nombre de usuario |
| password | contraseña |
| account (ex: Google account) | cuenta |
| link | enlace |
| Zoom/Meet link | enlace de Zoom/Meet |
| invite link | enlace de invitar |
| code | código |
| class code | código de la clase |
| invite code | código de invitación |
| stream (ex: Google Classroom Stream) | novedades (Novedades de Google Classroom) |
| news feed | fuente de noticias/news feed |
| announcement | anuncio |
| calendar | calendario |
| class folder | carpeta de la clase |
| poll | encuesta |
| due date | fecha de entrega |
| feedback (loudspeaker noise) | feedback |
| homepage | página principal |
| videoconference | videoconferencia |
| breakout room | sala para grupos |
| icon | icono |
| audio icon | icono de audio |
| blinking icon | icono parpadeante |
| Settings | Configuraciónes |
| Permissions | Permisos |
Nouns are great, but I bet you need to say entire phrases to communicate with your Spanish-speaking students. You may have used a few of these yourself recently! Notice that most of these are “commands” in the tú (informal) form. Teachers mostly speak to their students in this form, but often to parents and other adults in the formal usted form.
Spanish Virtual Learning Phrases
| Do you have any questions? | ¿Tiene preguntas? |
| Log in. | Inicia sesión. |
| Log back in. | Vuelve a iniciar sesión. |
| Reboot. | Reinicia. |
| Open (the file). | Abre (el archivo). |
| Upload (your homework). | Sube (tu tarea). |
| Download (the document). | Baja (el documento). |
| Submit your work. | Envía tu tarea. |
| Submit online. | Envía en linea. |
| Submit offline. | Envía fuera de línea. |
| I can’t see you. | No puedo verte. |
| Turn your camera on | Enciende tu cámara. Prende tu cámara. (Mexico) |
| I can’t hear you. | No puedo escucharte. |
| You’re on mute. | Estás en silencio/mute. |
| Put your mic on mute. | Pon tu micrófono en silencio/mute. |
| Your mic is muted. | Tu micrófono está silenciado. |
| Mute. | Ponga en silencio. |
| Unmute. | Reactiva el audio. |
| Click… | Haz clic… |
| Check (the box)… | Selecciona… |
| Uncheck (your audio icon). | Deselecciona… |
| Share your screen. | Comparte tu pantalla. |
| Respond in “chat.” | Responde en el “chat.” |
| Add a comment. | Agrega un comentario. |
| Scroll down/up. | Desplázate hacia abajo/arriba. |
| Drag and drop. | Arrastra y suelta. |
| Move the mouse… | Mueva el ratón… |
| Come back at… | Vuelve a las… |
| End the call. | Termina la llamada. |
Here’s another crucial phrase that you may have used recently – well, at least part of the phrase.
Adjust your camera (so I am not looking up your nose for the whole hour.)
Ajusta tu cámara (para que no te mire la nariz durante toda la hora).
Spanglish Phrases
The other issue with these vocabulary words is that depending on how long the Spanish speakers have been here in the U.S. and what region they are from, they may use a nice mix of Spanglish for these terms. Because so much of modern technology is in English, many of these terms, like “login” and “password” may be used instead of the word that may be used in their country.
For example:
Voy a trabajar en mi laptop. ¿Dónde están el mouse y mis headphones? No sé mi User ID ni password…
Google Docs – English vs. Spanish
If you are like me, you probably use Google Docs a lot. If you really want to immerse yourself into the Spanish tech vocabulary, you can change your Google settings. Compare the English and Spanish versions below
Google Classroom – English vs. Spanish
Once my language settings are changed, they will also remain changed for Google Classroom. Compare what you are probably used to with what you can do for your Spanish speaking students. (Remember that if you change this for your students, you will need to be familiar with the words and phrases.)
Hopefully these Spanish vocabulary words for virtual learning, computers, and technology will help you as you go forward in your teaching – not only virtually, but in the classroom as well. For more Spanish language instruction, make sure to check out Spanish in the Classroom, other various online courses, language coaching, and my blog available through Pronto Spanish.
Don’t forgot to download your cheat sheet of these words in a pdf format!
Did I miss any phrases you still need? Send me a message and I’ll add it to the list.