Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Intelligent in Spanish: Inteligente
Inteligente · adjective · een-teh-lee-HEHN-teh
Inteligente is the Spanish cognate of intelligent, describing someone with strong mental capacity, quick understanding, and sound reasoning abilities. Like its English counterpart, inteligente is gender-invariable — it does not change form between masculine and feminine. The colloquial synonym listo adds a layer of street-smart cleverness but requires careful use with ser versus estar to avoid confusion.
Inteligente has five syllables with the stress on the fourth: een-teh-lee-HEHN-teh. The g before e produces the Spanish j sound (like the h in 'hen'), which distinguishes it from the English pronunciation.
Mi hermana es muy inteligente y siempre saca las mejores notas.
My sister is very intelligent and always gets the best grades.
Intelligent in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for intelligent, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| inteligente | intelligent | een-teh-lee-HEHN-teh | Default, widely understood |
| listo | intelligent | colloquial, also means clever or ready | |
| sagaz | intelligent | literary, emphasizing shrewdness |
How Native Speakers Use Inteligente
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Academic praise
Es una estudiante inteligente que resuelve problemas con creatividad.
She's an intelligent student who solves problems creatively.
Academic context praising cognitive ability.
Colloquial synonym
Ese niño es muy listo, aprendió a leer solo a los cuatro años.
That boy is very smart, he learned to read on his own at four.
Listo with ser means smart/clever; with estar it means ready.
Professional compliment
Fue una decisión inteligente invertir en energías renovables.
It was an intelligent decision to invest in renewable energy.
Inteligente can describe decisions, strategies, and choices.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Inteligente
Ser listo vs. estar listo
Incorrect: ¿Estás listo? — Sí, soy muy inteligente.
Correct: ¿Estás listo? — Sí, ya estoy listo.
Estar listo means 'to be ready,' while ser listo means 'to be clever.' Confusing the two verbs transforms a simple readiness question into an awkward boast about intelligence.
Adding gender ending
Incorrect: Ella es muy inteligenta.
Correct: Ella es muy inteligente.
Inteligente ends in -e and does not inflect for gender; it stays the same whether describing a masculine or feminine subject.
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See Inteligente used by native speakers
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Common Questions About Intelligent in Spanish
- Does 'inteligente' change form for masculine and feminine?
- Inteligente is invariable for gender because it ends in -e, a neutral ending that applies to both masculine and feminine nouns. The only inflection is for number: inteligente (singular) and inteligentes (plural). This makes it simpler than adjectives ending in -o/-a.
- What is the difference between 'inteligente' and 'listo'?
- Inteligente refers to broad cognitive ability and intellectual capacity, while listo (when used with ser) implies quickness, cleverness, and practical smarts. A mathematically gifted person is inteligente; someone who talks their way out of a parking ticket is listo. With estar, listo switches meaning entirely to 'ready.'
- How do you say 'artificial intelligence' in Spanish?
- Artificial intelligence translates to inteligencia artificial, maintaining the same word order as English. The abbreviation IA (rather than AI) is used in Spanish-language technology discussions, academic papers, and news articles.