ciclo
nounCEFR B2
What does “ciclo” mean in English?
cycle — a recurring sequence of events or a defined period
cycle — a recurring sequence of events or a defined period (el ciclo económico, el ciclo de pobreza, romper el ciclo)
Example sentences
El ciclo de pobreza intergeneracional es extremadamente difícil de romper sin educación pública de calidad.
The cycle of intergenerational poverty is extremely difficult to break without quality public education.
El ciclo económico muestra que los períodos de expansión siempre van seguidos de períodos de contracción.
The economic cycle shows that periods of expansion are always followed by periods of contraction.
Romper el ciclo de violencia doméstica requiere intervención social, legal y psicológica coordinada.
Breaking the cycle of domestic violence requires coordinated social, legal, and psychological intervention.
How to use it
El ciclo means 'cycle' — a recurring sequence of events or a defined period. At B2 it is productive in social, economic, scientific, and cultural discourse: el ciclo económico, el ciclo de pobreza, el ciclo electoral, el ciclo del agua, un ciclo de conferencias. The adjective cíclico/a describes recurring patterns. Key collocations: romper el ciclo (to break the cycle), el ciclo vital (the life cycle), el ciclo se repite. Distinguish from patrón (pattern — a recurring design or behaviour) and espiral (spiral — a cycle with worsening or escalating quality).
Common mistake
Ciclo (cycle — recurring sequence that returns to its starting point) vs espiral (spiral — escalating cycle, usually negative: espiral de violencia) vs patrón (pattern — recurring structure, not necessarily cyclical). Un ciclo de conferencias is a B2 cultural term meaning 'lecture series'. Note the tilde: ciclo (two syllables: ci-clo) — not a common spelling problem but the verb form is similar to other -ar verbs: *ciclarse does not exist; use repetirse or reproducirse.