pantano
/pan-TAH-noh/
swamp
Pantano (swamp) refers to a natural wetland area.
📝 In Action
Tuvimos que cruzar el pantano para llegar al río.
B1We had to cross the swamp to get to the river.
La zona costera está llena de pequeños pantanos salados.
B2The coastal area is full of small salt marshes.
💡 Grammar Points
Masculine Noun
Remember that 'pantano' is a masculine word, so you must use 'el' before it: 'el pantano grande'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Gender
Mistake: "La pantano (Incorrect use of feminine article)."
Correction: El pantano (Use the masculine article 'el' or 'un').
⭐ Usage Tips
Visualizing the Difference
Think of 'pantano' as a general term for a wet, muddy, sometimes forested area where walking is difficult.
Pantano (reservoir) can also mean an artificial lake created by a dam for water storage.
pantano(noun)
reservoir
?artificial lake created by a dam
,dam (artificial lake)
?the body of water, not the wall itself
📝 In Action
Fuimos a pescar al pantano que está cerca del pueblo.
B2We went fishing at the reservoir near the town.
El nivel del pantano ha bajado mucho por la sequía.
C1The reservoir level has dropped a lot due to the drought.
💡 Grammar Points
Double Meaning Alert
In Spain, 'pantano' often means a large, man-made lake used to store water. Pay attention to the context to know if they mean a natural swamp or a reservoir.
Metaphorically, pantano (quagmire) describes a difficult or complex situation from which it is hard to escape.
pantano(noun)
quagmire
?difficult, complex situation
,mess
?confusing or sticky situation
bog
?figurative difficult situation
📝 In Action
Las negociaciones se hundieron en un pantano de burocracia.
C1The negotiations sank into a quagmire of bureaucracy.
El escándalo financiero se convirtió en un pantano para el gobierno.
C2The financial scandal became a mess/sticky situation for the government.
💡 Grammar Points
Figurative Use
This meaning extends the idea of a physical swamp—something that traps you and is hard to get out of—to an abstract problem or difficulty.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: pantano
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'pantano' in the sense of a man-made water source, common in Spain?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'pantano' the same as 'ciénaga'?
They are very similar synonyms, both meaning a wet, muddy area. 'Pantano' is often broader and can refer to any large swamp or marsh. 'Ciénaga' sometimes implies a more stagnant or muddy bog, or specifically a coastal marsh in some regions.
Why does 'pantano' have two very different meanings (swamp vs. reservoir)?
The original meaning is 'swamp' or 'muddy ground.' When engineers started building large reservoirs, especially in Spain, they often flooded natural valleys and low-lying areas that were historically called 'pantanos.' Over time, the name stuck to the artificial water body itself, creating the second meaning.