voluntario

voluntary

adjective boh-loon-TAH-ryoh Less Common

Origin: From Latin voluntarius, from voluntas (will), from velle (to wish).

Also means

volunteer (noun)

Usage Note

Voluntario works as both adjective (trabajo voluntario = voluntary work) and noun (un voluntario = a volunteer). The noun form for volunteer work as a concept is voluntariado, which is widely used in NGO and social contexts. The adverb is voluntariamente (voluntarily).

Examples

"Muchos voluntarios ayudaron tras el terremoto."

Natural Translation

Many volunteers helped after the earthquake.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Preterite vs. Imperfect: Spanish Past Tense Made Easy

Preterite vs. imperfect: use the preterite for finished events, the imperfect for ongoing scenery. A trigger-word cheat sheet, flowchart, and examples.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Subjunctive Explained Simply for Beginners

The Spanish subjunctive is a mood, not a tense — use it after a WEIRDO trigger plus que. Learn the one rule, the yo-form recipe, and the lines you already say.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Accent Marks: 3 Rules for Every Word

A Spanish word needs an accent mark in just three cases: it breaks the default stress, it's a homophone, or a weak vowel splits off. Here are all three rules.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

How to Say "I Like" in Spanish: Gustar Without the Confusion

Say I like in Spanish with gustar the right way: me gusta vs me gustan, why it's never yo gusto, the pronouns, articles, and five verbs that copy the pattern.

June 9, 2026 6 min read