aplicado
adjectiveCEFR B1
What does “aplicado” mean in English?
diligent, hardworking
diligent, hardworking (of a student — describes consistent effort and conscientiousness, not intelligence)
Example sentences
Aunque no es el alumno más brillante de la clase, es muy aplicado y siempre entrega los trabajos a tiempo con el máximo esfuerzo posible.
Although he is not the most brilliant student in the class, he is very diligent and always submits his work on time with the maximum possible effort.
Su tutora escribió en el informe que era una alumna aplicada y responsable, aunque necesitaba mejorar su capacidad de síntesis en los textos escritos.
Her tutor wrote in the report that she was a diligent and responsible student, although she needed to improve her ability to summarise in written texts.
Si te aplicas más en los deberes y dedicas al menos una hora diaria a repasar, verás que las notas mejoran bastante rápido.
If you apply yourself more in your homework and dedicate at least one hour a day to revising, you will see that your grades improve quite quickly.
How to use it
Aplicado as an adjective in educational contexts means 'diligent', 'hardworking', or 'conscientious' — it describes a student who applies themselves consistently to their studies. It is a common term of praise in Spanish school reports and parent-teacher interactions. Key distinction: aplicado describes the quality of effort and consistency, not intelligence or talent (for that use listo, inteligente, brillante). Common collocations: un alumno muy aplicado, ser muy aplicado en clase. The reflexive verb aplicarse means 'to apply oneself' — the action that leads to being aplicado.
Common mistake
False cognate alert: aplicado does NOT primarily mean 'applied' (as in applied linguistics — that is lingüística aplicada, where aplicada means applied in the academic/practical sense). When describing a student, aplicado means diligent/hardworking. The cognate trap leads English speakers to use aplicado when they mean 'applied maths' — correct: matemáticas aplicadas. To say a student is hardworking: es muy aplicado. Don't confuse with the sense of applying for something (solicitar, postular).