Service contract — in Spanish and Italian.

Definition

An agreement to perform work or services.

Spanish and Italian equivalents

In Spanish, Service contract is rendered as Contrato de servicios / locación de obra; in Italian, as Contratto d'opera / di servizi. Spanish usage admits more than one form (Contrato de servicios / locación de obra); the choice depends on the country and on the type of document. Italian likewise admits more than one form (Contratto d'opera / di servizi), with the choice driven by the document type and context. Spanish equivalents follow Argentine (Rioplatense) usage where it differs from European Spanish. In a certified translation the equivalent is chosen for the target jurisdiction; where the concept has no exact counterpart, the source term is kept alongside a functional explanation.

Translating Contract Law terminology

Contract terminology looks deceptively similar across the three languages, but the doctrines behind the words differ. Consideration has no place in Spanish or Italian contract law, which relies on causa; penalty clauses that a U.S. court would strike down are ordinary cláusulas penales and clausole penali; rescisión, resolución and nulidad are distinct remedies that English often collapses into "termination". In certified translations of agreements, these distinctions are preserved exactly, because they determine what each party can actually claim.

Related terms in Contract Law

• Contract / Agreement — Contrato
• Offer — Oferta
• Acceptance — Aceptación
• Consideration — Contraprestación / Causa
• Consent — Consentimiento
• Object of contract — Objeto del contrato
• Party / Contracting party — Parte contratante
• Clause / Provision — Cláusula
• Term / Condition — Plazo / Condición
• Penalty clause — Cláusula penal
• Warranty — Garantía
• Representation — Declaración / Manifestación
• Breach of contract — Incumplimiento contractual
• Termination — Resolución / Rescisión
• Withdrawal / Rescission right — Desistimiento / Revocación
• Renewal — Renovación / Prórroga
• Amendment — Modificación / Addenda
• Performance — Ejecución del contrato
• Delivery — Entrega
• Price — Precio
• Payment — Pago
• Deposit / Earnest money — Seña / Arras
• Sale — Compraventa
• Lease / Rental — Locación / Arrendamiento / Alquiler
• Loan (for use) — Comodato
• Loan (of money) — Mutuo / Préstamo
• Mandate / Agency — Mandato
• Deposit (bailment) — Depósito
• Donation / Gift — Donación
• Barter / Exchange — Permuta
• Franchise — Franquicia
• Standard form contract — Contrato de adhesión
• Unfair term — Cláusula abusiva
• Confidentiality agreement (NDA) — Acuerdo de confidencialidad
• Letter of intent — Carta de intención
• Pre-contract / Preliminary contract — Boleto / Precontrato
• Assignment of contract — Cesión del contrato
• Force majeure clause — Cláusula de fuerza mayor
• Arbitration clause — Cláusula arbitral / compromisoria
• Counter-offer — Contraoferta
• Privity of contract — Efecto relativo del contrato
• Specific performance — Cumplimiento específico / forzoso
• Liquidated damages — Daños liquidados / cláusula penal
• Frustration of contract — Frustración del contrato / fin del contrato
• Condition precedent — Condición suspensiva
• Condition subsequent — Condición resolutoria
• Severability clause — Cláusula de divisibilidad / salvaguarda
• Governing law clause — Cláusula de ley aplicable
• Entire agreement clause — Cláusula de integridad

Browse the full Contract Law area, return to the dictionary index, or search all 712 terms in the interactive dictionary (also available as a PDF).

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This page is for general orientation only. It is not legal advice and does not substitute for advice from licensed counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Terminology varies between countries and between civil-law and common-law systems; the equivalents shown here are the most common in cross-border practice.