target and Spanish tarjeta

TÁR-guet

In English

target

a goal / a mark to aim at

In Spanish

tarjeta

de crédito o de regalo

Spanish "tarjeta" means: card

Why they get mixed up Spanish "tarjeta" sounds somewhat similar to "target," and both come from French words for a small shield, but today they mean different things. English "target" is a goal, objective, or a mark to aim at. A card in English is "card."

If you want to say...

targetmeta o blanco
cardtarjeta
target audiencepúblico objetivo

Examples

Our sales target is high.
Nuestro objetivo de ventas es alto.
The arrow hit the target.
La flecha dio en el blanco.
The company missed its revenue target.
La empresa no alcanzó su meta de ingresos.
The soldier aimed at the target.
El soldado apuntó al blanco.

Common mistakes in Spanish

Incorrect: ~~Nuestra tarjeta de ventas este mes es de cien mil dólares.~~

Correct: Nuestra meta de ventas este mes es de cien mil dólares.

Tarjeta is a card. A goal or target is meta or objetivo.

Incorrect: ~~Apuntó a la tarjeta con el arco.~~

Correct: Apuntó al blanco con el arco.

Use blanco for a shooting target.

Phrases you will hear

a sales targetuna meta de ventas
hit the targetdar en el blanco
a target audienceun público objetivo
target young peopledirigirse a jóvenes
a carduna tarjeta
a credit carduna tarjeta de crédito

In a conversation

A:
Our sales target is high this month.
Nuestra meta de ventas es alta este mes.
B:
Who is the target audience?
¿Quién es el público objetivo?
A:
Young people. Please show your credit card at the door.
Los jóvenes. Por favor, muestra tu tarjeta de crédito en la puerta.
B:
Sure. I'll hit the target.
Claro. Daré en el blanco.

Test yourself

"Sales target" means...

To remember it

Target = a goal/mark to aim at. A credit card (Spanish "tarjeta") = card.

Frequently asked questions

What does Spanish "tarjeta" mean?

Spanish "tarjeta" means "card". It looks like the English "target", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "target" means "a goal / a mark to aim at".

Does English "target" mean the same as Spanish "tarjeta"?

Spanish "tarjeta" sounds somewhat similar to "target," and both come from French words for a small shield, but today they mean different things. English "target" is a goal, objective, or a mark to aim at. A card in English is "card."