ganancia
Lemma Details
Translation: profit; gain; earnings; winnings; benefit
Part of Speech: noun
Etymology: Derived from the verb 'ganar' (to win, to earn) which comes from Germanic 'waidanjan' (to hunt, to forage), introduced through Gothic influence. The English cognate 'gain' shares this Germanic root, though it entered English through Old French 'gaaignier'. The suffix '-ancia' forms abstract nouns indicating the result of an action, similar to English '-ance'.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Invirtió su dinero con la esperanza de obtener ganancias.
He invested his money with the hope of making profits.
No hay ganancia sin riesgo.
There's no gain without risk.
La empresa tuvo una ganancia de diez mil euros este mes.
The company had a profit of ten thousand euros this month.
Las ganancias se repartirán entre todos los accionistas.
The profits will be distributed among all shareholders.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'gain-ancia' - sounds like 'gain' in English, which is exactly what it means.
- Remember that 'ganancia' comes from 'ganar' (to win) - what you win or earn becomes your profit or gain.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish business and economic contexts, 'ganancia' is a fundamental concept. The term 'bienes gananciales' refers to community property in marriage under Spanish law, where assets acquired during marriage are considered joint property.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'ganancia' means 'profit' or 'gain', 'garantía' means 'guarantee' or 'warranty'. They look similar but have completely different meanings.
Confused word:
El producto viene con una garantía de dos años.
The product comes with a two-year warranty.
Notes: Both words begin with 'ga-' and end with '-ia', making them visually similar.
Mnemonic: 'Ganancia' has 'gain' in it, while 'garantía' has 'guarantee' in it.
Explanation: 'Ganancia' is 'profit' or 'gain', while 'gana' is the third-person singular present form of 'ganar' meaning 'he/she/it wins/earns'.
Notes: 'Ganancia' is derived from the verb 'ganar', of which 'gana' is a conjugated form.
Mnemonic: 'Ganancia' is the noun (the profit itself), while 'gana' is the action (someone winning or earning).