Again we’re motoring through the uses of some potentially confusable Spanish words. Today’s pair are mecánica and mecánico.
You can hear how they are pronounced below.
mecánica:
mecánico:
Mecánica (feminine) is the branch of physics concerned with the motion of objects and substances in response to forces – mechanics:
La mecánica puede dividirse en mecánica de sólidos y mecánica de fluidos.
Mechanics can be divided up into solid mechanics and fluid mechanics.
Es un investigador en mecánica teórica.
He’s a researcher in theoretical mechanics.
Cooper había acumulado una considerable experiencia en mecánica práctica.
Cooper had built up considerable experience in practical mechanics.
Mecánica (feminine) is also the practical know-how involved in designing, maintaining or repairing machinery or vehicles – mechanics again:
en la relojería y la mecánica de precisión
in watchmaking and precision mechanics
Aprendía mecánica automotriz con su padre.
He was learning motor or auto mechanics with his father.
A menudo se utiliza en talleres de mecánica automotriz.
It’s often used in garages or car repair shops or automobile repair shops.
La mecánica is also the working part of a machine or other device – the mechanics or the workings, or sometimes, if referring to a smaller part, the mechanism:
La mecánica de la bicicleta y su mantenimiento son importantes en la seguridad del ciclista.
The mechanics of the bicycle and its maintenance are important for cyclist safety.
la mecánica del piano
the workings of the piano
La mecánica de los relojes se había perfeccionado durante siglos.
Clock and watch mechanisms had been perfected over centuries.
More figuratively, la mecánica is the way something is organized or works, or else the rules governing how it operates – the mechanics or mechanism:
La mecánica del juego se centra en la resolución de puzles por parte de Mario.
The mechanics of the game revolve around Mario solving puzzles.
La mecánica de la semifinal fue similar a la de los heats eliminatorios, avanzando las cinco canciones más puntuadas a la final.
The mechanics of the semifinal were similar to those of the qualifying rounds, with the five highest-scoring songs going through to the final.
Son responsables de la correcta aplicación de la mecánica impositiva del IVA.
They are responsible for correctly applying the VAT tax mechanism.
All the above senses are feminine. But there are some ‘person’ senses that are, unsurprisingly, masculine for a man (mecánico) and feminine for a woman (mecánica).
So un mecánico/una mecánica may be:
- a man/woman who maintains or repairs vehicles – a mechanic:
Consiguió un trabajo como mecánico.
He secured a job as a mechanic.
Trabajó como mecánica de auto por cinco años.
She worked as a car or auto mechanic for five years.
- a man/woman who maintains or repairs machinery, or else who puts together, installs or adjusts machinery – a technician, a repairman/repairwoman or a fitter, depending on the context:
Trabajó como mecánico y tornero en una fábrica.
He worked as a fitter and turner in a factory.
Por décadas, trabajó como mecánico de cintas transportadoras.
He worked for decades as a conveyor belt technician or repairman or engineer.
Note that, as with other masculine plural nouns referring to people, los mecánicos may be either all men or a mixture of men and women.
Mecánico (together with its inflected forms mecánica, mecánicos, mecánicas to agree with the noun it qualifies) is also an adjective describing things related to or involving mechanics – mechanical:
Su padre es ingeniero mecánico.
His father is a mechanical engineer.
Jugaba con juguetes mecánicos.
She would play with mechanical toys.
Mecánico can also describe something you do without thinking – mechanical:
un gesto mecánico
a mechanical gesture
palabras que eran adoptadas de forma mecánica e inconsciente
words which were adopted mechanically and unconsciously
To hammer out the differences in usage between some more similar-looking Spanish words, come back next week.
