Skip to content

elemental

elementary, basic

adjective eh-leh-men-TAHL Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Quality

Origin: From Latin 'elementalis', of the elements.

Also means

fundamental

Usage Note

Elemental can mean 'elementary' in the sense of basic or introductory (conocimientos elementales, 'basic knowledge'), or it can mean 'elemental' in the philosophical/scientific sense of relating to the classical elements. It is invariable for gender — un paso elemental / una regla elemental — and forms its plural with -es: elementales.

Examples

"Eso es una norma elemental de educación."

Natural Translation

That is a basic rule of manners.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore Spanish by topic