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cipher and Spanish cifra
In English
cipher
a secret code / encryption system
In Spanish
cifra
número, cantidad
Spanish "cifra" means: number / figure
Why they get mixed up Spanish "cifra" is a number, a numeric code, or an amount of money. English "cipher" is a secret coding or encryption system. It can also figuratively mean someone unimportant or without influence.
If you want to say...
- ciphercódigo o cifrado
- figurecifra
- to encryptcifrar
Examples
The message was written in cipher.
El mensaje estaba escrito en clave.
They cracked the cipher.
Descifraron el código.
The spies wrote their messages in cipher.
Los espías escribían sus mensajes en clave.
He is a cipher, nobody knows anything about him.
Es un misterio, nadie sabe nada de él.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: La cipher de la población es de un millón.
Correct: La cifra de la población es de un millón.
Cifra means a number or figure. Cipher is a secret code.
Incorrect: El mensaje estaba escrito en cifra.
Correct: El mensaje estaba escrito en clave.
A coded message is "en clave" or "cifrado".
Phrases you will hear
- a secret cipherun código secreto
- break a cipherdescifrar un código
- written in cipherescrito en clave
- a Caesar cipherun cifrado César
- a figureuna cifra
- a numberun número
In a conversation
- A:
The spy wrote the message in cipher.
El espía escribió el mensaje en clave.
- B:
Can you break the cipher?
¿Puedes descifrarlo?
- A:
Yes, it's a simple Caesar cipher.
Sí, es un cifrado César sencillo.
- B:
Great. What is the figure in the last line?
Genial. ¿Cuál es la cifra de la última línea?
Test yourself
"A secret cipher" is...
To remember it
Cipher = a secret code/encryption system. A number (Spanish "cifra") = number/figure.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "cifra" mean?
Spanish "cifra" means "number / figure". It looks like the English "cipher", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "cipher" means "a secret code / encryption system".
Does English "cipher" mean the same as Spanish "cifra"?
Spanish "cifra" is a number, a numeric code, or an amount of money. English "cipher" is a secret coding or encryption system. It can also figuratively mean someone unimportant or without influence.