What is the most common word for "computer" in Latin American Spanish? "Computadora" or "Ordenador"?

Question

I'm copyediting the Closed Captioning of a math video, to wit, the Spanish-translated text for a math video.

The translator wrote "computador" (without the "a" at the end), but the dictionary shows "ordenador"--which is used mainly in Spain, I think.

However, the video makers are catering to the Spanish-speaking students of the US and Caribbean. They have instructed us not to "overcorrect" with textbook "Spain-Spanish" terms. We have to use the regional words of Mexico, US-raised Spanish-speaking students from Puerto Rico, Dominican republic, etc. My cousins in México use "computadora." But is that what Puerto Ricans and Dominicans use predominantly too? I've never heard my cousins say "ordenador," nor did any of my Caribbean-Spanish speaking students in Boston (where the video is made) ever use that word. Any advice?

I had fun correcting "peas" in a video once--everybody had a different word for it. I wound up using the Spain-Spanish word "guisantes" for it!

Answer 1

Must of the countries in Latin America use 'computadora', some people like to call it 'computador' but not so often. The dictionary of the Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy) which is the organization that regulates Castillian Spanish all over the world recognizes both words. They also put a notation on the word 'ordenador' as a word mainly used in Spain.

Answer 2

that's true, and that does not just happens here, it happens in some places such as Europe. Some people in Europe classify Romanians as gypsies, which they have nothing in common an do not even look alike. I am Puerto Rican, and I have been called Mexican a few times as well. I do not think people say that do be offensive, it's probably because there are a lot of Mexicans that live in the United States and people assume they are Mexican right away.

Answer 3

In south America, computadora, and in Spain, ordenador.

Answer 4

In all Latin American countries it is translated to:

computadora

In Spain they say: ordenador

Answer 5

Hi! We say "la computadora" in Mexico, I know that in other countries like Colombia (I think) they say "el computador" you are right "el ordenador" is used in Spain...
I hope it helps =)

Answer 6

Ordenador Translation

Answer 7

COMPUTADORA is the most used word in latin america, followed by COMPUTADOR which is used in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

ORDENADOR is the word of choice in Spain.

Answer 8

Yo he comprado de muchas veces ordenadores en los sitios web y siempre he encontrado la mejor calidad, el ultimo ordenador es para una amiga, la verdad es que parece especial creado para ella porque tiene un disco duro con una excelente capacidad de almacenaje y va bastante rápido por su gran memoria y su buen procesador, muy buena compra sin duda.

Answer 9

i've heard computador without the a. but maybe thats because of the tendency to not pronounce the entire word a lot of the times.
ordenador is definetely not it.
i think you should just add the a. it won't be too far off.

Answer 10

......... ordenador ? organizer? if you say ordenador to a store in latin american they won't know its a computer