Spanish Vocabulary And Phrases For Military Personnel

Spanish uses specific terminology and expressions for the military, and understanding these is necessary for active personnel serving in Spanish-speaking regions.

In this guide, I’ll go through the essential Spanish vocabulary and expressions for personnel, including ranks, vocabulary related to war and weaponry, and terms related to security.

Whether you’re serving or just interested in wartime literature or documentaries, this is for you.

Let’s get started.

NOTE: If you need info on the salary perks in the military for learning Spanish, see our guide on DLAB and DLPT.

Military ranks and roles in Spanish

Check the list below to find key Spanish vocabulary related to military ranks.

Depending on the gender of the person who assumes the role, we can either use the article el or la and a masculine or feminine noun to identify them.

Use el when referring to a male and la when referring to a female.

Weapon names in Spanish

In the table below, I have listed weaponry-related vocabulary in Spanish.

If you’ve heard a weaponry-related term in the news but are unsure what it means, check the list to find out its definition.

Spanish commands used in the military

When reading about the military, you may encounter Spanish imperatives or commands that commanding officers use to tell others to do something.

Here are some examples of the most common military imperatives in Spanish.

Division names

In the Spanish military, there are three main types of military divisions.

I’ve covered the main three divisions in the list below.

Army terms

From armoured vehicles to troops, there are many terms and Spanish nouns you’ll hear related to the army.

Here are some Spanish terms and vocabulary related to the army you should know.

Spanish military phrases

Below, you will find examples of common Spanish military phrases that often overlap with political discussions and contexts.

Spanish political and military sentence examples

Let’s now look at a few examples of Spanish military sentences that use the phrases from the above section.

You may hear these sentences in political discussions and war-related scenarios.

Queríamos negociar el cese de hostilidades.

We want to negotiate a ceasefire.

La defensa militar es una cuestión nacional.

Military defence is a national issue.

Las tropas están listas para el combate.

The troops are ready for combat.

¿Dónde está su identificación?

Where is your identification?

Hay prisioneros de guerra.

There are prisoners of war.

Queríamos evitar la declaración de guerra.

We want to avoid the declaration of war.

Ellos son nuestros aliados.

They are our allies.

Es una cuestion de la seguridad nacional.

It's a question of national security.

Nosotros queremos paz.

We want peace.

Wartime vocabulary in Spanish

Military vocabulary and war-related vocabulary are linked and, paradoxically, separate topics.

Not every country with an army is involved in a war.

For this reason, I have listed some Spanish vocabulary related to war in this section.

Learn the Spanish words for “battlefield” and “injured” here.

Other war-related sentence examples

To see how to use the vocabulary in the section above and how Spanish speakers use the vocabulary in conversations or the news, check the example sentences in this section.

Muchos soldados han muerto en el campo de batalla.

Many soldiers have died on the battlefield.

Queremos negociar con el enemigo.

We want to negotiate with the enemy.

El ejército no tiene mucha artillería.

The army doesn't have much artillery.

El ejército necesita mas munición.

The army needs more ammunition.

La invasion ocurrió in 1621.

The invasion happened in 1621.

El ejército se retiró y formó una línea de defensa.

The army retreated and formed a line of defence.

La guerra es terrible.

War is terrible.

Deben evitarse bajas civiles.

Civilian casualties must be avoided.

Proteger a los heridos es importante.

Protecting the wounded is important.

The guide above is a useful starting point for active servicemen who need to learn to speak Spanish (or anyone interested in reading Spanish wartime literature).

While there’s a lot more I could cover, the examples given above are the most important and high frequency occurrences.

Get in touch if I’ve missed anything crucial.

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