ocasión
Lemma Details
Translation: occasion; opportunity; chance; time; instance
Part of Speech: noun
Etymology: From Latin 'occasio', derived from 'occidere' meaning 'to fall down' or 'to happen'. The English cognate 'occasion' shares the same Latin root. The concept behind both words relates to a particular time when something happens or an opportunity arises - metaphorically, when something 'falls' into one's path.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Mnemonics
- Think of 'occasion' in English - they sound and mean almost the same thing.
- Remember 'o-CASH-ion' - it might be a good opportunity (ocasión) to save some cash.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking cultures, 'ocasión' is often used in commercial contexts to refer to second-hand items ('de ocasión'). It's also commonly used in social contexts to refer to special events or celebrations.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'ocasión' means 'opportunity' or 'occasion', 'ocio' means 'leisure' or 'free time'. They look somewhat similar but have different meanings.
Notes: Both words start with 'o' and have 'c' as the second letter, but 'ocasión' is longer and relates to events or opportunities, while 'ocio' relates to free time.
Mnemonic: 'Ocasión' has 'cas' in it, like 'case' - an opportunity is a case that presents itself. 'Ocio' sounds like 'oh, see, yo' - what you might say when you have free time to relax.
Explanation: 'Ocasión' means 'opportunity' or 'occasion', while 'oración' means 'prayer' or 'sentence' (in grammar). They look and sound similar but have completely different meanings.
This word:
Tuve la ocasión de visitar París el año pasado.
I had the opportunity to visit Paris last year.
Notes: Both are feminine nouns that end in '-ción', but they belong to completely different semantic fields.
Mnemonic: 'Ocasión' has 'cas' in it like 'casual' - opportunities can come casually. 'Oración' has 'ora' in it, which sounds like 'oral' - prayers are often spoken orally.