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📖2 definitions
📚 calle has 2 definitions
A colorful, simple illustration of a narrow city street lined with small, vibrant buildings under a clear sky.

calle

/KAH-yeh/

NounfA1
street?a public road in a city or town
Also:road?less common for this meaning; 'carretera' is better for roads between towns,lane?for a very narrow street

📝 In Action

Mi casa está en la calle Principal.

A1

My house is on Main Street.

Hay mucho tráfico en esta calle.

A1

There is a lot of traffic on this street.

Los niños están jugando en la calle.

A2

The children are playing in the street.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • avenida (avenue)
  • vía (way, thoroughfare)

Common Collocations

  • cruzar la calle – to cross the street
  • calle principal – main street
  • calle sin salida – dead-end street / cul-de-sac
  • a pie de calle – at street level

Idioms & Expressions

  • dejar a alguien en la calle – to leave someone bankrupt or homeless
  • echarse a la calle – to take to the streets (in protest or celebration)

💡 Grammar Points

Always 'la calle'

Even though it ends in '-e', 'calle' is a feminine word. So, you always say 'la calle' (the street) or 'una calle' (a street).

❌ Common Pitfalls

'Calle' vs. 'Carretera'

Mistake: "Conduzco por la calle para ir a la otra ciudad."

Correction: Use 'calle' for roads inside a town or city. For bigger roads connecting different towns, use 'carretera' (highway). Correct: 'Conduzco por la carretera para ir a la otra ciudad.'

⭐ Usage Tips

Giving Addresses

When you say an address in Spanish, you use 'en la calle' followed by the name. For example, 'La tienda está en la calle Sol.' (The store is on Sol Street).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: calle

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'calle' correctly to mean a street?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

callado(quiet, reserved (person)) - adjective
callejón(alley, narrow lane) - noun
callejear(to wander the streets) - verb
callejero(related to the street (e.g., street musician, stray animal)) - adjective/noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'calle' feminine if it ends in '-e'?

While many Spanish nouns ending in '-o' are masculine and '-a' are feminine, there are many exceptions! 'Calle' is one of several common words ending in '-e' that are feminine. Others include 'noche' (night), 'leche' (milk), and 'gente' (people). You just have to learn them as you go!

What's the difference between 'calle' and 'avenida'?

Generally, an 'avenida' is a bigger, wider street, often with trees and multiple lanes of traffic, like an 'avenue' in English. A 'calle' is a standard street. Think of an 'avenida' as a main artery and a 'calle' as a regular vein in the city.

Is it always rude to say '¡Calle!'?

Not always, but it's very direct. In a classroom, a teacher might say it to quiet down students, and it's understood as a firm instruction. But between equals, it can definitely sound like 'Shut up!'. It's safer to use more polite phrases if you're not sure.