Quick answer
Secretaria without an accent is the office or department; secretária with an accent is the female professional.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
secretaria
department or administrative office
Use secretaria for an institution, government department, school office, or administrative unit.
secretária
female secretary
Use secretária for a woman whose role involves administrative support, or a female government secretary.
How to choose
- secretaria: Choose secretaria if the sentence points to an institution, government department, school office, or administrative unit.
- secretária: Choose secretária if the sentence points to a woman whose role involves administrative support, or a female government secretary.
Examples
O pedido foi enviado à secretaria.
The request was sent to the administrative office.
A secretária confirmou a reunião.
The secretary confirmed the meeting.
Common trap
A person can work na secretaria como secretária. The accent and stress separate the workplace from the role.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with secretaria, then once with secretária. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
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