barril
/bah-REEL/
barrel
A barril is a large wooden or metal container used for storage.
barril(noun)
barrel
?large wooden or metal container
,cask
?for aging wine or spirits
keg
?for beer
📝 In Action
El vino se añeja en barriles de roble.
A2The wine is aged in oak barrels.
Necesitamos un barril nuevo para la cerveza artesanal.
B1We need a new keg for the craft beer.
💡 Grammar Points
Masculine Noun Rule
Since 'barril' ends in 'l', it follows the pattern of most masculine nouns in Spanish. Remember to use 'el' or 'un' before it.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Gender
Mistake: "La barril (using feminine article)"
Correction: El barril. It is always masculine, even though it doesn't end in -o.
⭐ Usage Tips
Context Tip
If you are referring specifically to a beer container, 'barril' and 'barril de cerveza' are both common, but 'barril' is often used alone.
The word barril can also refer to a specific unit of capacity, historically used for measuring liquids.
📝 In Action
El precio del barril de petróleo crudo ha bajado considerablemente.
B2The price of a barrel of crude oil has dropped considerably.
La producción diaria es de cien mil barriles.
B1The daily production is one hundred thousand barrels.
💡 Grammar Points
Counting Units
When counting, 'barril' acts like any other unit of measure (kilo, litro). You say 'dos barriles' (two barrels).
⭐ Usage Tips
Economic Context
If you hear 'el barril' in the news, it almost always refers to the price of oil, even if they don't say 'petróleo'.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: barril
Question 1 of 2
¿Cuál es la traducción más común de 'barril' cuando se habla de economía y noticias?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
¿Cómo se dice 'keg' (para cerveza) en español?
You can use 'barril' (El barril de cerveza). Sometimes you might also hear 'tanque' or 'barrica' depending on the size and material, but 'barril' is the most direct translation for a standard keg.
¿'Barril' es una palabra formal o informal?
'Barril' is a neutral, everyday word. It is used equally in technical contexts (like oil reports) and casual contexts (like talking about wine or beer).