reto
nounCEFR B2
What does “reto” mean in English?
challenge — a difficult task or goal to be faced and overcome; often aspirational in tone
challenge — a difficult task or goal to be faced and overcome; often aspirational in tone (el reto de…, afrontar un reto, hacer frente a un reto)
Example sentences
El verdadero reto no es identificar los problemas, sino encontrar soluciones que sean a la vez eficaces, equitativas y políticamente viables.
The real challenge is not to identify the problems but to find solutions that are simultaneously effective, equitable, and politically viable.
Superar ese reto requerirá una inversión sostenida en educación y una disposición política a tomar medidas impopulares.
Overcoming that challenge will require sustained investment in education and a political willingness to take unpopular measures.
How to use it
El reto means 'challenge' — a task or situation that demands effort and skill, but that also presents an opportunity for growth or achievement. Unlike desafío, reto is slightly less rhetorical and slightly more everyday; it covers the full spectrum from informal conversation ('el reto del día') to formal discourse ('los grandes retos del siglo XXI'). Both reto and desafío translate English 'challenge', but in a given sentence their register and collocational patterns differ. Afrontar un reto (to face a challenge) is the core verbal collocation, alongside superar un reto (to overcome a challenge) and plantear un reto (to present a challenge).
Common mistake
Reto (everyday to formal — neutral challenge, opportunity framing) vs desafío (more rhetorical — challenge with a confrontational or gauntlet-thrown connotation). In casual speech, reto is more natural; in a formal speech or editorial, both work. 'I challenge you' = 'te desafío' (not *te reto, which sounds more playful).