Glossary and lists
Tech and programming vocabulary in English
26 tech terms for standups, code reviews and incident calls, with the meaning, the Spanish and an example for each.
Book a trial classThe list
| Term | Meaning | Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| bug | an error in code | error, bug | We found a bug in the login flow. |
| deploy | to release code to a live environment | desplegar, hacer deploy | We deploy to production every Friday. |
| pull request | a request to merge code changes | pull request | Can you review my pull request? |
| merge conflict | when two code changes clash | conflicto de merge | I had a merge conflict after rebasing. |
| codebase | all the source code of a project | base de código | The codebase is getting hard to maintain. |
| backend | the server side of an application | backend | The backend handles authentication. |
| frontend | the user-facing side of an application | frontend | She works on the frontend team. |
| endpoint | a URL where an API can be accessed | endpoint | This endpoint returns user data. |
| refactor | to restructure code without changing its behavior | refactorizar | We need to refactor this function, it's too long. |
| technical debt | shortcuts that will need fixing later | deuda técnica | We took on technical debt to ship faster. |
| rollback | to undo a recent change | revertir, rollback | We had to rollback the release. |
| staging environment | a test environment before production | entorno de staging | Test it on staging before deploying. |
| edge case | an unusual situation a system must handle | caso límite, edge case | This bug only happens in an edge case. |
| scalable | able to handle growth without breaking | escalable | The architecture needs to be scalable. |
| downtime | time when a system is unavailable | tiempo de inactividad | We had 20 minutes of downtime last night. |
| sprint | a short, fixed period of work in agile | sprint | We're closing out the sprint on Friday. |
| standup | a short daily team meeting | standup, reunión diaria | Let's cover that in tomorrow's standup. |
| blocker | something preventing progress | bloqueante | This is a blocker for the release. |
| ship | to release a feature or product | lanzar, shippear | We shipped the new feature yesterday. |
| legacy code | old code still in use, often hard to maintain | código legado | This is legacy code from the original team. |
| dependency | code or a library your project relies on | dependencia | We need to update this dependency. |
| breaking change | a change that stops existing code from working | cambio disruptivo, breaking change | This update includes a breaking change. |
| code review | checking someone's code before merging | revisión de código | Can you do a code review on this PR? |
| version control | a system for tracking code changes | control de versiones | We use Git for version control. |
| on call | available to respond to issues outside work hours | de guardia | I'm on call this weekend. |
| root cause | the real reason behind a problem | causa raíz | We found the root cause of the outage. |
How to use these at work
- Many tech terms stay in English even inside Spanish-language teams (deploy, bug, sprint), so the real skill is using them naturally in full sentences, not translating them.
- Actually doesn't mean actualmente. Use currently for current state: we're currently refactoring this module.
- English tech updates favor short, direct structure: state the blocker first, then the context, not the other way around.
Practice
Multiple choice cloze
Choose the term that fits the gap.
0 of 8 checked
Questions
- Why do Spanish-speaking teams use English tech words even when talking in Spanish?
- Most programming culture, documentation and tools are in English, so terms like deploy, bug and merge often stay untranslated. Learning to use them naturally in full English sentences is more useful than translating them.
- Can I practice standups and code reviews in class?
- Yes, an English for work class can run mock standups and review sessions using your actual team's vocabulary and workflow.
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