Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

ENERGY in Spanish: ENERGÍA

Energía · noun · eh-nehr-HEE-ah

Energía is a near-cognate of 'energy' in Spanish that covers every sense of the English word — from the electricity powering your home to the personal vitality you feel after a good night's sleep. Its spelling and meaning make it one of the most intuitive vocabulary words for English speakers learning Spanish.

eh-nehr-HEE-ah

Hoy me desperté con mucha energía.

Today I woke up with a lot of energy.

Energy in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for energy, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

SpanishEnglishPronunciationRegion / Register
energíaenergyeh-nehr-HEE-ahDefault, widely understood
vigorenergyliterary or formal

How Native Speakers Use Energía

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Personal Vitality

Los niños tienen una energía inagotable.

Children have endless energy.

Describing someone's physical vigor.

Renewable Resources

La energía solar es cada vez más accesible.

Solar energy is increasingly accessible.

Discussing sustainable power sources.

Motivation

Necesito más energía para terminar este proyecto.

I need more energy to finish this project.

Expressing the need for motivation or stamina.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Energía

Accent Placement

Incorrect: La energia renovable es importante.

Correct: La energía renovable es importante.

The accent mark on the í is essential — without it, the word is misspelled and the stress falls on the wrong syllable.

Gender Confusion

Incorrect: El energía del sol es poderoso.

Correct: La energía del sol es poderosa.

Energía is feminine, so it requires the feminine article la and feminine adjective forms.

Lock in Energy Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Energía used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using energía in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Hoy me desperté con mucha energía. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Energy in Spanish

Is energía a cognate of energy?
Energía and energy share the same Greek root (energeia), making them true cognates with virtually identical meanings across all contexts — personal, scientific, and industrial.
How do you say 'energy drink' in Spanish?
The common term is bebida energética, though in casual speech many people simply say 'un energizante' or use brand names directly.
What is the plural of energía?
The plural form is energías, used when referring to multiple types of energy sources, as in 'energías renovables' (renewable energies).