Es importante respetar el turno de palabra en la reunión.

It is important to respect the speaking turn in the meeting.

Breakdown of Es importante respetar el turno de palabra en la reunión.

• ser: to be
• en: in
• importante: important
• la reunión: the meeting
• respetar: to respect
• el turno de palabra: the speaking turn

Questions & Answers about Es importante respetar el turno de palabra en la reunión.

Why is respetar in the infinitive after Es importante? Could I say Es importante que respetes instead?

Spanish often uses an infinitive after impersonal expressions like Es importante, Es necesario, Es fácil, etc., especially when speaking in general.

• Es importante respetar el turno de palabra…
  = It is important to respect the speaking turn… (general statement, not aimed at a specific person)

You can also say:

• Es importante que respetes el turno de palabra… (to one specific person – tú)
• Es importante que respetemos el turno de palabra… (including yourself – nosotros)
• Es importante que respeten el turno de palabra… (they / you all – ellos / ustedes)

Those versions require the subjunctive (respetes, respetemos, respeten) and sound a bit more like giving a recommendation or rule to specific people.

In your original sentence, the infinitive respetar is more neutral and impersonal: it talks about what is generally important, without specifying who should do it (even though obviously it applies to everyone in the meeting).

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What exactly does turno de palabra mean? Is it the same as “turn to speak”?

Yes, el turno de palabra is very close to your turn to speak / the floor in English.

Nuances:

• turno = turn (in a sequence)
• palabra here means the chance to speak (not “word” in the literal sense)

So respetar el turno de palabra means:

• Not interrupting
• Waiting until it is your turn to speak
• Letting others finish before you start

In many formal or semi‑formal settings in Spain (meetings, debates, assemblies), turno de palabra is a very common phrase.

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Why is it turno de palabra and not turno de hablar or turno para hablar?

This is largely a matter of idiomatic usage and collocation.

• turno de palabra is the standard, fixed expression.
• palabra in this context means “the right / opportunity to speak”.
  Compare:
  • Tienes la palabra. = You have the floor / you may speak now.

Alternatives like:

• turno de hablar
• turno para hablar

would be understood, but they sound less natural and much less common, especially in Spain. A native speaker will almost always say turno de palabra in the context of meetings, debates, etc.

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Could I just say turno instead of turno de palabra?

Sometimes, yes – but it depends on context.

• In a meeting, if it’s already clear you are talking about speaking turns, people might shorten it:

  • Respeta tu turno.
    (If everyone knows we’re talking about speaking.)

• However, turno on its own is more general: it can be someone’s turn in a game, in a queue, in a work shift, etc.

So in a sentence like yours, where you’re defining a general rule for meetings, el turno de palabra is clearer and more specific. It avoids any ambiguity with other kinds of “turns” or “shifts” (turno de trabajo, turno de noche, etc.).

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Can I change the word order to Respetar el turno de palabra en la reunión es importante?

Yes, that word order is grammatically correct:

• Es importante respetar el turno de palabra en la reunión.
• Respetar el turno de palabra en la reunión es importante.

Both mean the same.

Subtle differences:

• Starting with Es importante… is the more typical pattern with these impersonal structures and sounds very natural.
• Starting with Respetar el turno de palabra… puts a bit more emphasis on the action itself.

In everyday speech and writing, the original order (Es importante respetar…) is more common.

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Why is it la reunión with an article? Could I say just en reunión?

reunión is a feminine noun, so it takes la:

• la reunión = the meeting

In Spanish, you usually need the article when you refer to a specific event that everyone knows about:

• Es importante respetar el turno de palabra en la reunión.
  = in the (specific) meeting we are talking about.

Saying en reunión is possible but:

• It’s much less common.
• It sounds more like a fixed label or status (e.g. in a calendar: Estoy en reunión = I’m in a meeting / tied up in meetings), not like referring to a specific one.

For a specific work meeting, en la reunión is the normal, natural choice.

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What is the difference between en la reunión and durante la reunión?

Both are possible, but there is a nuance:

• en la reunión = in the meeting, within the setting or context of the meeting.
• durante la reunión = during the meeting, focusing on the time period.

Your sentence with en:

• Es importante respetar el turno de palabra en la reunión.
  Sounds like “in the context of the meeting, it’s important to respect the speaking turns.”

With durante:

• Es importante respetar el turno de palabra durante la reunión.
  Emphasizes “throughout the whole time the meeting is happening.”

In practice, both would be understood the same way, and both sound natural. en la reunión is slightly more idiomatic and compact here.

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Could I say Es importante respetarlo instead of Es importante respetar el turno de palabra?

Grammatically, yes; but context matters.

• Es importante respetar el turno de palabra.
  Clear and complete; ideal if this is the first time you mention it.

• Es importante respetarlo.
  Here lo refers back to something already mentioned (for example, if the previous sentence was En esta empresa hay turno de palabra.). Without that prior reference, respetarlo is vague.

So:

• If this is a stand‑alone rule or sign (like in a meeting room), Spanish will keep el turno de palabra explicit.
• Pronouns like lo are mostly used when it’s very clear what lo refers to from the previous context.

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Is this sentence formal? Is it how people in Spain would naturally say it in a work context?

Yes, it sounds natural and appropriate in a workplace or any organized meeting in Spain. It’s neutral‑formal.

You might also hear variants like:

• Es muy importante respetar el turno de palabra en la reunión. (adding emphasis)
• Hay que respetar el turno de palabra en la reunión. (impersonal “one must / you have to”)
• Es importante que respetemos el turno de palabra en la reunión. (more directly addressing “we”)

But your original sentence is perfectly idiomatic and would fit well in:

• Company guidelines
• A presentation about meeting rules
• A moderator’s introduction at the start of a meeting

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Any pronunciation tips, especially for reunión and respetar?

A few key points:

• reunión

  • Syllables: re-u-nión (3 syllables; u and i form one sound glide).
  • Stress on the last syllable: re-u-NIÓN.
  • The r is a soft tap [ɾ], not the strong rolled rr.

• respetar

  • Syllables: res-pe-tar.
  • Stress on the last syllable: res-pe-TAR.
  • The s is like English s (never like z in “rose”).

• reunión and en la reunión:

  • Try to link smoothly: en la reu‑nión; avoid inserting an extra vowel (not “reh‑oo‑nion”, but a quick reu‑).

If you keep the stress correct (im-por-TAN-te, res-pe-TAR, re-u-NIÓN), the sentence will sound much more natural.