ambulante
“ambulante” means “traveling” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
traveling, itinerant
Also: mobile
📝 In Action
El circo ambulante llegó a mi pueblo ayer.
A1The traveling circus arrived in my town yesterday.
Hay muchos puestos ambulantes en esta calle.
A2There are many mobile stalls on this street.
La biblioteca ambulante visita las zonas rurales.
B1The mobile library visits the rural areas.
street vendor
Also: hawker
📝 In Action
Los ambulantes venden fruta fresca en la plaza.
B1The street vendors sell fresh fruit in the square.
Hablé con un ambulante para comprar un recuerdo.
B1I spoke with a street vendor to buy a souvenir.
El ayuntamiento regula el espacio para los ambulantes.
B2The city council regulates the space for street vendors.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: ambulante
Question 1 of 3
What is a 'vendedor ambulante'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'ambulans,' which means 'walking' or 'moving around.' It’s the same root that gave us the English word 'amble' and 'ambulance' (which used to be called 'moving hospitals').
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'ambulante' a rude word?
No, it is a neutral, descriptive term. However, in some contexts, it refers to 'informal' workers, so some people might prefer the term 'vendedor'.
Does it only refer to people?
No, it can describe anything that moves, like a 'circo ambulante' (traveling circus) or a 'mercado ambulante' (traveling market).
How is it different from 'itinerante'?
'Itinerante' is a bit more formal. 'Ambulante' is the word you'll hear most often in the streets and in the news.