Ella es una mujer fuerte.
She's a strong woman.
Said about a woman, fuerte keeps the exact same form, and here it praises someone who makes it through the hard days.
From Piensa como Hombre 2 · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "strong" in Spanish
fuerte
adjectivesame for both gendersplural: fuertes
"Strong" in Spanish is fuerte. It ends in -e, so it stays the same for a man and a woman: un hombre fuerte, una mujer fuerte. Spanish also uses fuerte for strong coffee, a strong wind and a loud voice.
Hear "fuerte" in a real movie scene
A woman who gets through the hard days. The video starts and stops on that line.
Strong coffee, strong wind: phrases with fuerte
English says strong, loud or tight in these phrases. Spanish says fuerte in all of them.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| un abrazo fuerte | a big hug (a common way to sign off a message) |
| un café fuerte | a strong coffee |
| un viento fuerte | a strong wind |
| Habla más fuerte, por favor. | Speak up, please. |
| el punto fuerte | someone's strong point |
| el plato fuerte | the main dish, or the highlight of an event |
Tip: With a verb, fuerte works as an adverb and never changes: Ellos hablan fuerte means they talk loudly.
Grammar: fuerte, fuertes
Four points that cover almost every sentence with fuerte.
No feminine ending
un gato fuerte, una persona fuerte. Adjectives that end in -e don't switch to -a.Add -s for the plural
unos brazos fuertes, unas mujeres fuertes. Only the number changes the word.Es fuerte or está fuerte
Es fuerte describes what someone is like. Está fuerte means they're in strong shape right now, for example after months at the gym.Strength and intensity
Fuerte also means intense: un dolor fuerte is a bad pain, música fuerte is loud music.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Es un gato fuerte y encantador.
It's a strong, charming cat.
Es una persona fuerte y famosa.
This is a strong and famous person.
Ella es una mujer fuerte.
She's a strong woman.
Respira bien, el pulso es fuerte.
He's breathing fine, and the pulse is strong.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗una mujer fuerta
✓una mujer fuerte
There is no form fuerta. The -e ending covers feminine nouns too.
✗Son muy fuerte
✓Son muy fuertes
With more than one person, add -s to the adjective.
✗foo-EHR-teh (pronunciation)
✓FWEHR-teh
Say fuer as a single beat, with the stress on it. Fuerte has two syllables, not three.
Real conversation: a cat at the door
A short dialog at a friend's front door. Tap to listen.
You visit someone you know, and right at the door she warns you about her cat.
¡Cuidado con el gato!
Watch out for the cat!
¿Es un gato peligroso?
Is it a dangerous cat?
No, pero es muy fuerte.
No, but it's very strong.
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How to remember it
Fuerte sounds like fort, and a fort is built to be strong. In Spanish, un fuerte can even mean a fort.
Questions about "strong" in Spanish
How do you say strong in Spanish?
Fuerte, for masculine and feminine nouns alike. With a plural noun it becomes fuertes.
What is the opposite of fuerte?
Débil, which means weak. It also has one form for both genders: un brazo débil, una voz débil.
How do you say "very strong" in Spanish?
Muy fuerte. You'll also hear fortísimo, and in casual speech fuertísimo.
What does "un abrazo fuerte" mean?
A big hug. People write it at the end of messages to friends and family, much like "hugs" in English.
