mar
“mar” means “sea” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
sea
Also: ocean
📝 In Action
Me encanta nadar en el mar.
A1I love swimming in the sea.
El barco navega por el mar Caribe.
A2The boat is sailing on the Caribbean Sea.
Desde la ventana del hotel, veíamos el mar.
A2From the hotel window, we could see the sea.
sea of
Also: mass of, flood of
📝 In Action
Había un mar de gente en el concierto.
B1There was a sea of people at the concert.
Después de la clase, tenía un mar de dudas.
B2After the class, I had a sea of doubts.
El político se enfrentó a un mar de críticas.
C1The politician faced a sea of criticism.
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: mar
Question 1 of 2
Which phrase means 'There was a huge crowd'?
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👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word 'mare', which meant 'sea' or 'seawater'. It has kept its meaning almost unchanged for thousands of years.
First recorded: Before the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'mar' and 'océano'?
Technically, an 'océano' (ocean) is one of the Earth's five huge bodies of water (like the Atlantic Ocean), and a 'mar' (sea) is a smaller part of an ocean, often partly enclosed by land (like the Mediterranean Sea). In everyday conversation, however, people often use 'mar' and 'océano' to mean the same thing: the big, salty water at the beach.
Why is 'mar' sometimes masculine ('el') and sometimes feminine ('la')?
It's one of Spanish's special cases! The standard, most common form is masculine: 'el mar'. The feminine form, 'la mar', is used in poetry, literature, and by people who have a close relationship with the sea, like fishermen. It gives a more personal, emotional, or respectful feeling. When you're learning, it's safest to always use 'el mar'.