motivo versus motivacion

Question

How would you decide when to use one, when to use the other?

For instance, I want to translate the following sentence, "Children have little motivation for making false accusations, but offenders have considerable motivation to lie...."

I am finding myself wanting to write, "Los nin~os tienen poca motivacio'n para hacer acusaciones falsas, pero los ofensores tienen mucho motivo para mentir...."

I don't even understand why I prefer motivacio'n in the first part of the sentence and motivo later.

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

"Motives" are reasons people have for doing what they do. "Motivation" is what other people use on them to persuade tham to have "motives". Sadly, other folk who write about these processes do not always distinguish between "motive" and "motivation". Exactly the same applies in Spanish to "motivo" and " motivacion" although the distinction between the two is probably better understaood.

So..... in your source text, it seems to me perfectly clear that it should read "motive" in both cases and therefore you should use "motivo".

eatt - 00494d19, May 12, 2010

Answer 2

Welcome to the forum, lis

You got it perfect! Enhorabuena

Answer 3

I think there's a subtle difference, just like in English.

Motivation: the activation or energization of goal-oriented behavior.

Motive: something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act

Answer 4

Lisala, I think you made the right choices. In fact, I like the way you wrote in Spanish better than the original English - I think it sounds better and makes more sense.

Children have little incentive, or motivation, to falsely accuse somebody - why should they? On the other hand, offender have a very good reason to lie: saving their butts!

So, while you could use "motivación in both places, I think your decision works very nicely.