depósito
nounCEFR B2
What does “depósito” mean in English?
deposit/reserve —
deposit/reserve — (1) a bank deposit; (2) a natural mineral deposit; (3) a tank or container (depósito bancario, depósitos de litio, depósito de agua)
Example sentences
Los nuevos depósitos de litio descubiertos en el altiplano podrían convertir al país en un actor clave del mercado de baterías.
The new lithium deposits discovered in the high plateau could make the country a key player in the battery market.
Para reservar la sala, se exige un depósito equivalente al veinte por ciento del coste total.
To book the hall, a deposit equivalent to twenty per cent of the total cost is required.
El depósito municipal de agua fue contaminado y el ayuntamiento ordenó no consumir el agua del grifo.
The municipal water tank was contaminated and the council ordered residents not to drink tap water.
How to use it
El depósito means 'deposit' — a sum placed in a bank, a natural reserve of a mineral or resource, or a physical container for liquids. At B2 all three senses appear in reading and writing. Key collocations: un depósito bancario (bank deposit), los depósitos de petróleo/minerales (mineral reserves), el depósito de agua/gasolina (water/fuel tank), dejar un depósito (to leave a deposit/guarantee). The three senses are distinguished by context and accompanying noun. Distinguish from reserva (reserve — also natural, but implies strategic conservation) and yacimiento (mineral deposit/seam — specifically geological).
Common mistake
Depósito covers three distinct senses that English separates into 'deposit' (financial), 'reservoir/tank' (physical container), and 'deposit' (geological). Context disambiguates, but be precise: yacimiento (geological seam: un yacimiento de carbón) is more specific than depósito for mineral extraction. Bank deposit = depósito bancario; making a payment deposit = dejar/pagar un depósito. Note accent: depósito (not *deposito).