Spanish Conversation · Level 19
90 words
Spanish word
instinto
Pronunciation
IPA/insˈtinto/
Meaning
- masculine nouninstinct
Example
¿Siempre sigues tu instinto?
Do you always follow your instinct?
More examples
En situaciones peligrosas, el instinto de supervivencia puede salvarte.
In dangerous situations, the survival instinct can save you.
Core concept
Inborn automatic impulse to act.
Common phrases
seguir el instinto
follow your instinct
instinto de supervivencia
survival instinct
actuar por instinto
act on instinct
Similar words
intuición: Immediate, unreasoned sense or judgment that appears without deliberate reasoning.
impulso: Sudden strong urge that compels quick, often unplanned action.
reflejo: Automatic bodily response that occurs unconsciously when a stimulus triggers it.
hábito: Behavior acquired through repetition that becomes a regular routine.
Definition in Spanish
Impulso innato y automático que lleva a un ser vivo a actuar o reaccionar sin razonamiento consciente.
Word origin
From Latin instinctus 'an urging within', originally describing an internal drive and now denoting an innate impulse that prompts action without conscious reasoning.
Usage tips
- Instinto contrasts with intuición in that instinto stresses a biological, automatic response while intuición refers to a learned or experiential hunch.
Opposites
- razónreasonnoun
- racionalidadrationalitynoun
Related words
- instintivoinstinctiveadjective
- instintivamenteinstinctivelyadverb