office and Spanish oficio

Ó-fis

In English

office

a workplace / a business room

In Spanish

oficio

trabajo manual

Spanish "oficio" means: trade / craft

Why they get mixed up Spanish "oficio" is a manual or artisan trade, or an official document. English "office" is the workplace or business room. A trade in English is "craft" or "trade" depending on context.

If you want to say...

officeoficina
tradeoficio
public officecargo público

Examples

I left my keys at the office.
Dejé mis llaves en la oficina.
She runs for public office.
Se postula para un cargo público.
The doctor's office is on the third floor.
El consultorio del médico está en el tercer piso.
He works in an office downtown.
Trabaja en una oficina en el centro.

Common mistakes in Spanish

Incorrect: ~~Mi oficio está en el centro.~~

Correct: Mi oficina está en el centro.

Oficio means trade or craft. A workplace is una oficina.

Incorrect: ~~Tengo un oficio de contabilidad en el piso diez.~~

Correct: Tengo una oficina de contabilidad en el piso diez.

Use oficina for a workplace.

Phrases you will hear

at the officeen la oficina
a doctor's officeun consultorio
office hourshoras de atención
run for officepostularse a un cargo
a tradeun oficio
the post officeel correo

In a conversation

A:
I'm at the office.
Estoy en la oficina.
B:
What's your trade? Are you a lawyer?
¿Cuál es tu oficio? ¿Eres abogado?
A:
No, an accountant. I work in an office downtown.
No, contador. Trabajo en una oficina del centro.
B:
Nice. Office hours are nine to five, right?
Qué bien. El horario de oficina es de nueve a cinco, ¿verdad?

Test yourself

"At the office" means...

To remember it

Office = a workplace/room. A manual trade (Spanish "oficio") = trade/craft.

Frequently asked questions

What does Spanish "oficio" mean?

Spanish "oficio" means "trade / craft". It looks like the English "office", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "office" means "a workplace / a business room".

Does English "office" mean the same as Spanish "oficio"?

Spanish "oficio" is a manual or artisan trade, or an official document. English "office" is the workplace or business room. A trade in English is "craft" or "trade" depending on context.