tarea

Tarea is a feminine noun in Spanish that denotes a task, assignment, job, or chore. In educational contexts, la tarea refers to the work students are required to complete outside class, commonly translated as homework. In Spain, the term deberes is more frequently used for homework, though tarea is widely understood in Latin America and other Spanish-speaking regions. Beyond school, tarea can indicate any duty or piece of work to be done, such as a household chore (tarea doméstica) or a task within a project.

In broader use, tarea functions as a general word for work to be accomplished, including professional or organized tasks. It appears in phrases such as “asignar una tarea” (to assign a task) or “cumplir una tarea” (to complete a task). In computing and project management, tarea is commonly used as the translation of “task,” reflecting its versatility across domains.

Grammatical and usage notes: tarea is feminine, with the plural form tareas. Common collocations include “tarea pendiente” (pending task) and “tarea diaria” (daily task). Regional variation exists in vocabulary for related concepts: while tareas and deberes can overlap, the choice between them can reflect local usage and context.