Intuition in Spanish Meaning | Say It Like a Native

In Spanish, “intuición” is the go-to word for a gut sense or quick understanding that arrives without step-by-step thinking.

You’ll see “intuition” translated as intuición almost everywhere, and that’s usually right. Still, Spanish has several nearby words that can change the feel of your sentence. Pick the wrong one and you might sound dramatic, mystical, or blunt when you only meant “I had a sense.”

This article helps you choose the best Spanish word or phrase for the moment. You’ll get clean meanings, everyday collocations, and examples you can reuse in real conversations.

What Spanish Speakers Mean By “Intuición”

Intuición is a noun. It points to understanding that feels immediate. People use it for decisions, impressions, and snap reads: picking the right option, sensing tension in a room, or spotting a pattern before you can explain it.

It can sound practical and calm, not mystical. You can also use it in serious settings without raising eyebrows.

Core Meaning From A Trusted Dictionary

Major Spanish dictionaries describe intuición as grasping something instantly without needing explicit reasoning. You can see that wording in the Real Academia Española entry for “intuición” in the Diccionario de la lengua española.

How It Sounds In Daily Talk

Intuición often carries a balanced tone. It says “I sensed it,” while leaving room for the idea that you could be wrong. That’s why it shows up in work chats, family talk, and casual advice.

Intuition in Spanish Meaning For Real Conversations

Most of the time, you can translate “intuition” as intuición and you’re set. The real skill is knowing when Spanish speakers reach for a neighbor like presentimiento or corazonada, or when a short phrase sounds more natural than the noun.

Intuición Vs. Presentimiento

Presentimiento leans toward a sense about what’s going to happen next, often with a slightly ominous edge. If you’re talking about a coming event, it can fit better than intuición. If you’re talking about reading a person or a situation right now, intuición is often the cleaner choice.

Intuición Vs. Corazonada

Corazonada is a “heart” hunch. It’s informal and vivid. It can sound more emotional than intuición, which tends to stay more neutral.

Intuición Vs. Instinto

Instinto can overlap with intuición, and people do mix them in casual speech. Still, instinto often points to an impulse, a reflex, or a natural drive. If you mean a snap judgment about people, patterns, or choices, intuición usually lands closer. The RAE entry for “instinto” even lists intuición among related senses, which hints at the overlap.

When “Sexto Sentido” Fits

Sexto sentido is strong. It can sound playful, spooky, or dramatic depending on context. Use it when you want that vibe. If you just want “I had a sense,” stick with intuición or a shorter phrase.

Common Ways To Say “I Had A Feeling” In Spanish

English uses “intuition” a lot as a standalone idea. Spanish often prefers verbs and short phrases. These are common, natural, and easy to slot into real talk.

Short Phrases That Sound Natural

• Lo supe por intuición. (“I knew it by intuition.”)
• Tuve una corazonada. (“I had a hunch.”)
• Me dio mala espina. (“It gave me a bad feeling.”)
• Algo no me cuadraba. (“Something didn’t add up for me.”)
• Me olía que… (“I had a feeling that…”)
• Me da la impresión de que… (“I get the impression that…”)

Verbs That Pair Well With “Intuición”

Spanish speakers often “have” intuition, “trust” it, or “follow” it. These pairings work across many regions:

• tener intuición
• confiar en tu intuición
• seguir tu intuición
• guiarte por la intuición
• hacer caso a tu intuición

Meaning Shifts Across Regions

Spanish is shared across many countries, so word choice can tilt by region. The good news: intuición travels well. It’s widely understood and rarely sounds odd.

Some alternatives vary more. Mala espina is common in Spain and also heard elsewhere. Me late que… is strongly Mexican. Me da la impresión is broadly neutral and works in many places when you want a softer, less “gut” feel.

Table Of Spanish Words And Phrases Related To Intuition

Use this table as a fast picker. Match your context to the nuance, then steal the sample sentence.

Spanish Term Or Phrase	Best Fit	Sample Sentence
intuición	General “gut sense” or instant grasp	Tengo la intuición de que esta opción es la correcta.
presentimiento	Sense about what’s coming next	Tengo el presentimiento de que van a cancelar el plan.
corazonada	Warm, informal hunch	Tuve una corazonada y cambié de asiento.
pálpito	Hunch, with a more literary tone	Tenía el pálpito de que alguien nos miraba.
instinto	Impulse, reflex, natural drive	Actué por instinto y me aparté a tiempo.
sexto sentido	Dramatic or playful “sixth sense”	Mi sexto sentido me dijo que no entrara.
tener buen ojo	Good “eye” for people or choices	Tienes buen ojo para contratar a la gente adecuada.
me dio (mala) espina	Bad feeling about a person or situation	Me dio mala espina desde el primer minuto.
me olía que…	Colloquial “I had a feeling that…”	Me olía que ese correo traía problemas.
me da la impresión de que…	Neutral impression, less “gut”	Me da la impresión de que no entendieron el mensaje.

How To Pick The Right Translation In One Minute

If you’re stuck between two words, ask one question: are you talking about instant understanding, or a sense about what comes next? That single choice gets you most of the way there.

If It’s About Understanding, Use “Intuición”

Use intuición when you mean quick recognition: spotting the right option, reading someone’s intention, or noticing a pattern. It also fits when you want a calm tone that doesn’t sound overly emotional.

If It’s About What Comes Next, Try “Presentimiento”

Use presentimiento when the sentence points to a coming outcome. It often carries a “something’s coming” feel. If your English line is “I’ve got a bad feeling,” presentimiento can match well.

If You Want Casual And Vivid, Use “Corazonada”

Corazonada is great with friends. It sounds direct and personal. It’s also a nice pick when you want to avoid sounding formal.

If You Mean Reflex Or Drive, Use “Instinto”

Instinto fits physical reactions and quick moves. It also fits “I just reacted.” If you mean “I sensed it,” intuición is often closer.

Intuition As A Verb And An Adjective

Sometimes the cleanest translation isn’t the noun at all. Spanish gives you intuir (verb) and intuitivo (adjective). These can sound smoother than forcing intuición into every line.

Using “Intuir”

Intuir means you sensed something without having all the pieces spelled out. It’s useful when English says “I could tell” or “I sensed.”

• Intuí que no me estaba diciendo toda la verdad.
• Intuyo que el plan no va a salir bien.

Using “Intuitivo”

Intuitivo often describes a person or a method that feels easy to grasp. In tech or design, it can mean “easy to use” or “easy to understand.”

• Es una persona intuitiva para leer el ambiente.
• El menú es intuitivo y se aprende rápido.

Examples You Can Copy With Small Tweaks

These sentence frames cover common contexts. Swap the details and you’re set.

At Work Or School

• Mi intuición me dice que este enfoque va a fallar.
• Me da la impresión de que falta un dato.
• Tuve una corazonada y revisé otra vez.
• Intuí que no era el momento de insistir.

With Friends And Family

• Lo supe por intuición, no por pruebas.
• Me dio mala espina y me fui temprano.
• Tenía el presentimiento de que algo pasaba.
• Tuve una corazonada: llámalo ya.

When Talking About People

• Tengo buena intuición para leer a la gente.
• Mi intuición no falló con esa persona.
• Me olía que no estaba siendo sincero.
• Intuí que estaba nervioso por algo.

Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

These slips are easy to fix. Once you spot them, your Spanish will sound smoother.

Overusing “Sexto Sentido”

In English, “sixth sense” can be casual. In Spanish, sexto sentido can sound theatrical. Use it when you want that tone, not as your default.

Forcing The Noun When A Short Phrase Sounds Better

Spanish often prefers a short verb phrase. “I had a feeling” is frequently me dio mala espina or me olía que…, not a long sentence with intuición every time.

Mixing Up “Intuición” And “Intención”

These words look alike. Intuición is your gut sense. Intención is a plan or purpose. If you say intención by mistake, your meaning flips.

Pronunciation And Spelling Notes

Intuición has an accent mark on the final “o”: in-tu-i-CIÓN. That written accent matters. Without it, you’ll create a misspelling.

If you like checking pronunciation and usage labels, bilingual dictionaries can help with audio and example lines. The Cambridge entry for “intuition” in English–Spanish is useful for confirming the standard translation.

Table For Fast Word Choice By Situation

Use this second table as a quick match tool when you’re writing or speaking on the fly.

Situation	Spanish You Can Use	Feel
You sensed a plan would fail	Mi intuición me dice que va a fallar.	Neutral, practical
You felt something bad was coming	Tengo un presentimiento.	Foreboding
You had a sudden hunch	Tuve una corazonada.	Casual
You got a bad vibe from someone	Me dio mala espina.	Direct, informal
You reacted without thinking	Actué por instinto.	Action-focused
You want a softer phrasing	Me da la impresión de que…	Polite
You want a neat translation for writing	intuición	Standard

Small Upgrades That Make Your Spanish Sound Native

Once you’ve got the right word, the next step is making the whole sentence sound like something a Spanish speaker would say. Two tricks help a lot: collocations and rhythm.

Use “Confiar En” And “Hacer Caso A”

Confiar en tu intuición is common and clear. Another natural option is hacer caso a tu intuición, which means you paid attention to it. Use hacer caso when you want an everyday tone.

Add A Reason In One Line

Spanish speakers often add a short reason after the intuition statement. Keep it tight:

• Confié en mi intuición y salí temprano.
• Seguí mi intuición porque algo no me cuadraba.
• Tuve una corazonada y cambié de plan.

When A Straight Dictionary Translation Is Enough

If you’re translating text and need a standard one-to-one mapping, intuición is the safest default for “intuition.” Major bilingual dictionaries line up on that. You can cross-check that default on the Collins page for Spanish translation of “intuition”.

Then adjust when the sentence calls for a different shade. If the line is about a looming event, shift to presentimiento. If it’s casual and emotional, shift to corazonada. If it’s a reflex move, shift to instinto.

Quick Practice: Turn English Into Natural Spanish

Try these swaps. Say them out loud once. Your ear will start to catch the differences.

• “My intuition says he’s lying.” → Mi intuición me dice que miente.
• “I have a feeling something will happen.” → Tengo el presentimiento de que va a pasar algo.
• “I had a hunch and checked again.” → Tuve una corazonada y revisé otra vez.
• “It gave me a bad feeling.” → Me dio mala espina.
• “I could tell he wasn’t comfortable.” → Intuí que no estaba cómodo.

If you want one anchor to walk away with, it’s this: intuición is your default word, and the best alternatives depend on whether you mean prediction, emotion, or reflex.