primario
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “primario” mean in English?
primary — first in order of importance; principal
primary — first in order of importance; principal (objetivo primario, sector primario)
Example sentences
El objetivo primario de la intervención es frenar la propagación del virus antes de que alcance las regiones más densamente pobladas.
The primary objective of the intervention is to halt the spread of the virus before it reaches the most densely populated regions.
España tiene un sector primario que, aunque reducido en términos de PIB, es estratégico para la seguridad alimentaria nacional.
Spain has a primary sector that, though small in terms of GDP, is strategic for national food security.
How to use it
Primario/a means 'primary' — first in order of importance; also: relating to primary sector (agriculture, mining). Common collocations: objetivo primario, sector primario, color primario, escuela primaria, instinto primario. Ser: always ser. Register: formal, academic, scientific, educational.
Common mistake
Primario ≠ principal: principal means the most important (the prime one); primario means first in a classification system (primary colour, primary sector, primary school). 'El objetivo principal' = the main goal; 'el objetivo primario' = the first-order goal in a hierarchy.