Two more similar-looking Spanish words with different uses are here to give our vocabulary a boost. They are tónico and tónica.
Starting with tónico (masculine) you can listen to how it’s pronounced here:
Un tónico is a medicine that makes you feel fitter, stronger or less tired – a tonic:
La corteza se utiliza como un tónico.
The bark is used as a tonic.
Fue introducido como un tónico a base de alcohol, hierro y vitamina B en 1950.
It was introduced as a tonic containing alcohol, iron and vitamin B in 1950.
Un tónico is also an astringent product for improving the appearance of your hair or skin – a tonic or toner:
Se utiliza en lociones para la piel y en tónicos para el pelo.
It’s used in skin lotions and hair tonics.
un tónico para la piel
a toner for the skin or a skin toner
Moving on to tónica (feminine) you can hear how it is pronounced here:
Tónica (feminine), or agua tónica to give it its full form, is a sparkling, slightly bitter soft drink containing quinine that can be drunk on its own or used as a mixer with, for instance, gin. You guessed it; it’s tonic (water).
la moda de mezclar bebidas espirituosas con tónica
the fashion for mixing spirits with tonic
Como bebida precursora a la tónica que se consume en la actualidad, está el agua carbonatada.
A forerunner to the tonic we drink today is carbonated or sparkling water.
un vaso de ginebra con tónica
a glass of gin and tonic
La tónica isthe general impression given by something such as an event, situation or creative work. Its English counterpart is often tone, trend, keynote or pattern, depending on the context (hence the wealth of examples below):
El ambiente fue amigable y relajado, marcando la tónica de este partido hasta la irrupción del hooliganismo en los 70s.
The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed, marking the tone or mood of this game till hooliganism arrived in the 70s.
Aunque hay nueve ministros nuevos, la tónica es de continuidad.
Although there are nine new ministers, the trend is one of continuity.
Esta sería la tónica de muchas de sus obras.
This would be the keynote of many of his works.
La variedad fue la tónica dominante de unos stands donde se podía comprar desde productos artesanos y pasteleros hasta equipamiento de montaña.
Variety was the dominant theme of stands where you could buy everything from artisanal products and patisserie to hiking and climbing gear.
Mantienen una absoluta opacidad, que es la tónica habitual en el comercio de armas.
Everything is kept completely unclear, which is the usual pattern in the arms trade.
En la segunda parte, el partido siguió la misma tónica.
In the second half the match followed the same pattern.
la capacidad de las nuevas composiciones para reflejar la tónica lúgubre y mágica del relato cinematográfico
the ability of the new compositions to reflect the gloomy and magical mood of the film narrative
Having separated out the main noun uses of tónico/tónica, it’s time to turn to its use as an adjective (whose ending naturally varies to agree in gender and number with the noun it describes).
Unsurprisingly, tónico is used to describe things that invigorate, that have a tonic effect:
Los vinos tónicos se hicieron muy populares.
Tonic wines became very popular.
La genciana se usa con frecuencia como componente de bebidas tónicas.
Gentian is often used as an ingredient in tonic drinks.
las bebidas carbonatadas como la soda y el agua tónica
carbonated drinks like soda and tonic water
In phonetics, tónico is used to describe syllables bearing stress or emphasis – stressed (or in technical language, tonic):
La sílaba tónica es la sílaba de una palabra con mayor prominencia fonética.
The stressed syllable is the syllable in a word that, phonetically, stands out most.
palabras que en forma singular terminan en vocal tónica: sofá
words that in the singular end with a stressed vowel: sofá
El acento tónico siempre cae en la penúltima sílaba.
The stress always falls on the penultimate syllable.
To boost your knowledge of the differences in usage between some more similar-looking Spanish words, join us again next week.
