Spanish Word of the Day: Consejo (advice)

The Spanish word consejo translates to advice in English. It originates from the Latin word consilium, meaning deliberation or consultation.

The word consejo is a masculine noun and takes the following definite and indefinite articles:

• el consejo = the advice
• los consejos = the advice
• un consejo = a piece of advice
• unos consejos = some advice

Consejo refers to an opinion or consultation that you express or receive before taking action on something. This advice can come from anyone, whether it’s a friend, teacher, leader, boss, family member, or even a random stranger.

Dar consejo means to give advice. If you’re going to give advice to someone, you can say, for example, Voy a dar consejo a mis estudiantes, which means I am going to give advice to my students.

The other option is to turn the noun consejo into a verb by adding an a in front and ar at the end of the word (Spanish verbs end with er, ar, or ir). The word becomes aconsejar (to advise). Now the sentence can be reworded using the verb, Voy a aconsejar a mis estudiantes. It translates to I’m going to advise my students.

If someone has already given you advice, you would use the past tense verb aconsejó. For example: La terapeuta me aconsejó ser más compasiva conmigo misma, which translates to The therapist advised me to be more compassionate with myself.

If you keep the word as a noun, you would say, La terapeuta me dió consejo de ser más compasiva conmigo misma. It translates to The therapist gave me advice to be more compassionate with myself.

There is also the word consejería, which means counseling, and the word counselor, which translates to consejero (masculine) or consejera (feminine).

The word consejo in Spanish also refers to a group of people who gather to give advice or to make decisions. The English translation of this is council. This type of consejo usually refers to a collegiate body whose function is to advise, administer, and direct. 

Here are some examples of consejos used in Spanish:

• consejo de Estado = state council
• consejo de familia = family council
• consejo de guerra = court martial
• consejo de ministro = council of minister

One term to be mindful of is concejo, spelled with a c instead of an s.

Similar to the previous meaning, concejo also denotes a group of individuals. However, this group comprises representatives or leaders who administer, lead, or make decisions within an organisation. This type of concejo refers to government ministers, societal leaders, and those who assist a president, king, or prime minister.

The gathering or meeting conducted by these concejos (councils) is also termed a concejo. For instance, in English, we might say The decision was made at the last administration meeting. In Spanish, it would be La decisión se tomó en el último concejo de administración. In this context, concejo is synonymous with the word meeting.

Spanish phrases featuring ‘consejo’

A popular Spanish phrase using the word consejo is El que no oye consejo no llega a viejo. In English this translates to, He who doesn’t listen to advice doesn’t reach old age.

It emphasises the significance of heeding advice from those with more experience and wisdom. Those who fail to do so and lack humility risk falling short of their goals. Furthermore, it underscores that listening to and acting upon advice is a trait of the wise, ultimately leading to a successful life.

Another popular phrase is Un buen consejo, no tiene precio. The literal translation of this is, Good advice has no price.

Idiomatic expressions featuring ‘consejo’