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bocina

bo-SEE-nah/boˈθina/

horn

Also: siren
NounfA2
Spain
A classic car steering wheel with a large round horn button in the center.

📝 In Action

El conductor tocó la bocina para evitar un accidente.

A2

The driver honked the horn to avoid an accident.

No uses la bocina cerca de un hospital.

A2

Don't use the horn near a hospital.

La bocina del barco se escuchaba a lo lejos.

B1

The ship's horn could be heard in the distance.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • claxon (car horn)
  • pito (whistle/horn)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • tocar la bocina – to honk the horn
  • sonar la bocina – to sound the horn

speaker

Also: loudspeaker
NounfB1
Latin AmericaSpain
A modern rectangular electronic speaker box with a large circular driver.

📝 In Action

Compré una bocina Bluetooth para mis fiestas.

B1

I bought a Bluetooth speaker for my parties.

La música suena muy bien en estas bocinas.

A2

The music sounds very good on these speakers.

Se rompió la bocina derecha de mi computadora.

B1

The right speaker of my computer broke.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • altavoz (loudspeaker)
  • parlante (speaker)

Antonyms

  • audífonos (headphones)

Common Collocations

  • bocina inalámbrica – wireless speaker
  • bocina inteligente – smart speaker

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "bocina" in Spanish:

horn→loudspeaker→siren→speaker→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: bocina

Question 1 of 3

If you are driving in Mexico and a car is blocking your way, what do you do?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
bocinazo(a loud honk or blast) — Noun
bocinar(to honk (less common than 'tocar la bocina')) — Verb
boquilla(mouthpiece) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'bucina,' which was a curved horn or trumpet used by the Roman army for signals. It is related to 'boca' (mouth) because you use your mouth to blow into early versions of these instruments.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: buzinaItalian: buccina

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'bocina' masculine or feminine?

It is feminine. You should always say 'la bocina' or 'una bocina'.

Can I use 'bocina' for my headphones?

No, 'bocina' refers to an external speaker that plays sound out loud. For headphones, use 'audífonos' or 'auriculares'.

Do people in Spain use 'bocina'?

Yes, but mostly for ships, large trucks, or older types of horns. For everyday cars, they prefer 'claxon', and for music, they prefer 'altavoz'.