embarazo
nounCEFR B1
What does “embarazo” mean in English?
pregnancy — the state of being pregnant
pregnancy — the state of being pregnant (estar embarazada); false friend: embarazada ≠ embarrassed (vergonzado/a); el embarazo de riesgo, quedar(se) embarazada
Example sentences
Cuando supo que estaba embarazada de tres meses, llamó a su médica para que le explicara qué controles debía hacerse durante el embarazo y qué alimentos debía evitar.
When she found out she was three months pregnant, she called her doctor to ask her to explain which check-ups she needed to have during the pregnancy and which foods she should avoid.
El médico le dijo que el embarazo evolucionaba bien, pero que por precaución sería conveniente que descansara más y que dejara de hacer ejercicio intenso.
The doctor told her the pregnancy was progressing well, but that as a precaution it would be advisable for her to rest more and to stop doing intense exercise.
How to use it
Embarazo means 'pregnancy' (masculine: el embarazo). Estar embarazada means 'to be pregnant' — the adjective must agree: embarazada (f), embarazado (m, rare). False friend alert: embarazada does NOT mean embarrassed — vergüenza or vergüenza ajena covers that. Key collocations: el embarazo de riesgo (high-risk pregnancy), el primer trimestre del embarazo, quedar(se) embarazada (to become pregnant), el test de embarazo (pregnancy test).
Common mistake
Embarazada = pregnant, NOT embarrassed. This is one of the most notorious Spanish false friends — confusing the two causes serious misunderstanding in medical contexts. The word for embarrassed is avergonzado/a or the expression tener vergüenza.