establecimiento
Lemma Details
Translation: establishment; business; shop; store; institution; setting up; foundation
Part of Speech: noun
Etymology: Derived from the verb 'establecer' (to establish) plus the suffix '-miento' which forms nouns indicating the result or process of an action. 'Establecer' comes from Latin 'stabiliscere', a derivative of 'stabilire' (to make stable), from 'stabilis' (stable, firm). The English cognate 'establishment' follows the same Latin root, making this a transparent cognate that maintains both form and meaning across languages.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Este establecimiento abre a las nueve de la mañana.
This establishment opens at nine in the morning.
Hay muchos establecimientos comerciales en esta calle.
There are many commercial establishments on this street.
El establecimiento de la democracia fue un proceso largo.
The establishment of democracy was a long process.
Trabaja en un establecimiento educativo privado.
He works at a private educational institution.
Mnemonics
- Think 'establish-miento' - a place that has been established for a purpose.
- Similar to English 'establishment' but with Spanish pronunciation and spelling.
- Break it down: 'estableci' (established) + 'miento' (the process or result).
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking countries, 'establecimiento' is commonly used to refer to any type of business premises, from small shops to large institutions. It's a versatile term that appears in formal contexts like legal documents and business terminology, but is also used in everyday conversation.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'establecimiento' refers to an establishment or business, 'estacionamiento' means 'parking lot' or 'parking'.
This word:
Vamos a ese establecimiento para comprar comida.
Let's go to that establishment to buy food.
Confused word:
Dejé mi coche en el estacionamiento del centro comercial.
I left my car in the shopping mall parking lot.
Notes: Both are long nouns ending in '-miento' but refer to completely different concepts.
Mnemonic: 'Establecimiento' has 'establec-' (establish) while 'estacionamiento' has 'estacion-' (station/park).
Explanation: 'Establecimiento' is the noun (the establishment), while 'establecido' is the past participle of 'establecer' used as an adjective (established).
Confused word:
Es un negocio bien establecido en la comunidad.
It's a well-established business in the community.
Notes: They come from the same verb but serve different grammatical functions.
Mnemonic: 'Establecimiento' ends with '-miento' (noun) while 'establecido' ends with '-ido' (adjective).