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canal

kah-NAHLkaˈnal

channel

Also: station
NounmA1
A simple, vintage-style television set displaying a bright, colorful cartoon image of a smiling sun on its screen.

📝 In Action

¿En qué canal están dando el partido de fútbol?

A1

What channel is the soccer game on?

Mi canal de noticias favorito es el 5.

A2

My favorite news channel is channel 5.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • cambiar de canal – to change the channel
  • canal de televisión – television channel

canal, strait

Also: ditch, channel
NounmB1
A straight, narrow artificial waterway (canal) with smooth grassy banks under a clear blue sky. A small, simple barge is floating on the water.

📝 In Action

El Canal de Panamá es una obra de ingeniería impresionante.

B1

The Panama Canal is an impressive engineering work.

Tuvimos que cruzar un pequeño canal de riego para llegar al campo.

B2

We had to cross a small irrigation ditch to reach the field.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • vía fluvial (waterway)
  • estrecho (strait)

Common Collocations

  • navegar por el canal – to sail through the canal
  • canal de riego – irrigation canal

channel

Also: medium, route
NounmB2
A clearly defined, wide, curving blue path representing a route, with small white envelopes flowing continuously along it from a starting point to an endpoint.

📝 In Action

Debemos usar los canales oficiales para enviar esta información.

B2

We must use the official channels to send this information.

La empresa distribuye sus productos por varios canales de venta.

C1

The company distributes its products through various sales channels.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • canales de comunicación – communication channels
  • canal de distribución – distribution channel

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "canal" in Spanish:

canal→channel→ditch→medium→route→station→strait→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: canal

Question 1 of 1

Which meaning of 'canal' is used in the phrase: 'El gobierno abrió un nuevo canal de diálogo.'

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
canalar(to channel, to groove (verb)) — Verb
canalicula(small channel, canaliculus) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes directly from the Latin word *canalis*, meaning 'pipe, groove, channel, or conduit.' It shares its root with English words like 'channel' and 'canal,' showing its long history tied to water movement.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: canalPortuguese: canal

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'canal' masculine or feminine?

'Canal' is always a masculine noun, so you must use 'el' (the) or 'un' (a) with it, regardless of whether you are talking about a TV station or a waterway.

How is 'canal' different from 'río' (river)?

A 'río' is a natural flow of water. A 'canal' is typically a man-made structure, built to carry water or ships, even if it follows a natural path (like the Panama Canal).