sostenible
adjectiveCEFR B1
What does “sostenible” mean in English?
sustainable
sustainable (capable of being maintained without depleting natural resources — desarrollo sostenible, turismo sostenible, de manera sostenible)
Example sentences
Muchos consumidores buscan productos fabricados de manera sostenible, aunque suelen costar más que las alternativas convencionales.
Many consumers look for sustainably produced products, although they tend to cost more than conventional alternatives.
El desarrollo sostenible pretende satisfacer las necesidades del presente sin comprometer las de las generaciones futuras.
Sustainable development aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations.
Para que el turismo sea realmente sostenible, tiene que beneficiar a las comunidades locales y no solo a las empresas externas.
For tourism to be truly sustainable, it has to benefit local communities and not just external companies.
How to use it
Sostenible means 'sustainable' — capable of being maintained over time without depleting natural resources or causing long-term harm. It is a two-form adjective (same form for masculine/feminine; plural: sostenibles). Key collocates: desarrollo sostenible (sustainable development — a fixed UN term), turismo sostenible, agricultura sostenible, moda sostenible. The related noun is la sostenibilidad.
Common mistake
In Latin America, sustentable is widely used as a synonym (desarrollo sustentable appears in many Latin American constitutions and official documents). Both are correct, but sostenible is dominant in Peninsular Spanish and international organisational usage. The two-form adjective means un modelo sostenible / una agricultura sostenible — do not add a feminine -a.