rentable
adjectiveCEFR B1
What does “rentable” mean in English?
profitable, cost-effective
profitable, cost-effective (investment or activity); antonym: poco rentable; noun: la rentabilidad
Example sentences
El asesor financiero nos explicó que esa inversión no sería rentable a corto plazo, aunque a largo plazo podría generar beneficios considerables.
The financial advisor explained to us that that investment would not be profitable in the short term, although in the long term it could generate considerable profits.
Según el estudio de viabilidad, el proyecto solo sería rentable si se alcanzara una facturación mínima de doscientos mil euros anuales.
According to the viability study, the project would only be profitable if a minimum annual turnover of two hundred thousand euros were achieved.
Para que el negocio sea rentable desde el primer año, habría que reducir los gastos generales en al menos un veinte por ciento.
For the business to be profitable from the first year, general costs would need to be reduced by at least twenty per cent.
How to use it
Rentable means 'profitable' or 'cost-effective / worthwhile' — it is a B1 formal register adjective used in financial and planning contexts. It derives from la renta (income/return) and la rentabilidad (profitability/return on investment). Do not confuse with the English word 'rentable' (which does not exist in standard English as an adjective); Spanish rentable is a false-friend trap for learners whose L1 is a Romance language using rentable. Antonym: no rentable / poco rentable.
Common mistake
Rentable is not an English word — do not back-translate it as 'rentable'. The English equivalents are profitable, cost-effective, or worthwhile depending on context. La rentabilidad = profitability / return on investment. Poco rentable = barely profitable (gradable with poco, muy, nada).