generar
verbCEFR B2
What does “generar” mean in English?
to generate, to produce
to generate, to produce (generar empleo/energía — bring something into existence, especially as output)
Example sentences
El nuevo plan de inversión tiene como objetivo generar al menos cinco mil puestos de trabajo en la región.
The new investment plan aims to generate at least five thousand jobs in the region.
Las declaraciones del ministro generaron un intenso debate en los medios de comunicación.
The minister's statements generated intense debate in the media.
El parque solar está diseñado para generar suficiente energía para abastecer a diez mil hogares.
The solar park is designed to generate enough energy to supply ten thousand homes.
How to use it
Generar means 'to generate', 'to produce', or 'to create'. It is the formal B2 equivalent of crear or producir in contexts of output, impact, and production. Common collocations: generar empleo (create jobs), generar ingresos (generate revenue), generar debate (spark debate), generar problemas (create problems). It can collocate with both positive and negative outcomes. Don't confuse with crear (create — more broadly, including artistic creation) or producir (produce — factory/industrial sense).
Common mistake
Generar + abstract noun is the key B2 collocation pattern: generar empleo, confianza, ingresos, impacto, riqueza, problemas. English speakers sometimes use *crear where generar is more natural — 'crear empleo' is also correct but generar empleo is more formal and policy-register.