Spanish word

tema

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈtema/

Meaning

  • masculine nountopic

Example

No entiendo el tema.

I don't understand the topic.

Illustration for tema (topic)

More examples

Abramos un tema nuevo.

Let's open a new topic.

Core concept

Central point that organizes a conversation or text.

Common phrases

  • abrir un tema nuevo

    open a new topic

  • cambiar de tema

    change the topic

  • tema polémico

    controversial topic

Similar words

asunto: Matter that requires attention or handling in a discussion or case.
cuestión: Issue that calls for careful consideration or formal judgment.
punto: Single point or argument that appears within a talk or explanation.
tópico: Subject that people commonly bring up in conversation.

Definition in Spanish

Asunto principal o punto central que define de qué trata una conversación, un texto o una obra.

Word origin

Derived from Greek θέμα via Latin thema, originally meaning 'something placed' and later 'subject', Spanish tema denotes the main point of a discussion or work.

Usage tips

  • Although it ends in -a, tema is grammatically masculine (el tema), and common collocations include cambiar de tema to change the subject and tema musical for a song or track.

Other meanings

  • themenoun
  • subject matternoun

Related words

  • subtemasubtopicnoun
  • temáticothematicadjective

Word lists with this word