Today’s Spanish word of the day is “carrera”.
It’s a feminine noun that can mean “career”, “race”, or “course” depending on context. It can also be used to refer to a university degree.
Some common phrases involving the word “carrera” include the following:
- Carrera universitaria – college/university degree/major
- Carrera profesional – professional career
The word “carrera” comes from Latin Latin cararia meaning “a road for carts”. This is also the root of the English word “career”. The idea that links words like “career”, “race” and “course” is that they all involve following a particular track, even if this is more metaphorical in the sense of a career or academic course.
Example sentences
Estoy estudiando una carrera en medicina.
I’m studying for a degree in medicine.
Su carrera como actor comenzó en el teatro.
His/her acting career began in theater.
Perdió la carrera por solo un segundo.
He/she lost the race by just one second.
Las carreras de caballos atraen a miles de apostadores.
Horse races attract thousands of gamblers.
Mi perro compitió en una carrera… y llegó último porque se detuvo a oler todo.
My dog competed in a race… and came in last because he stopped to sniff everything.
