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ritmo

REET-moh/ˈritmo/

“ritmo” means “rhythm” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

rhythm, beat

Also: tempo
NounmA1
A simple illustration of a drum being played. A drumstick hits the center, and three clear, repeating, wavy blue sound lines move away from the drum, representing the musical rhythm.

📝 In Action

Me encanta el ritmo de la música latina; es muy contagioso.

A1

I love the rhythm of Latin music; it's very contagious.

Perdí el ritmo y no pude seguir bailando.

A2

I lost the beat and couldn't keep dancing.

El baterista mantuvo un ritmo constante durante toda la canción.

B1

The drummer kept a steady rhythm throughout the whole song.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • compás (measure/beat)
  • cadencia (cadence)

Common Collocations

  • seguir el ritmo – to follow the rhythm/keep up
  • marcar el ritmo – to set the pace/beat

pace, rate

Also: speed
NounmB1
A friendly cartoon tortoise maintaining a steady, consistent forward stride on a winding dirt path, illustrating a constant rate of speed.

📝 In Action

Estamos trabajando a un ritmo muy rápido para terminar el proyecto a tiempo.

B1

We are working at a very fast pace to finish the project on time.

Necesitas reducir el ritmo si quieres terminar la carrera.

B1

You need to slow down the pace if you want to finish the race.

El ritmo de vida en la ciudad es agotador.

B2

The pace of life in the city is exhausting.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • pausa (pause)
  • lentitud (slowness)

Common Collocations

  • a buen ritmo – at a good pace
  • cambiar el ritmo – to change pace

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "ritmo" in Spanish:

beat→pace→rate→rhythm→speed→tempo→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: ritmo

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'ritmo' to mean 'pace' or 'speed of progress' rather than 'musical beat'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
rítmico(rhythmic) — Adjective
arrítmico(arrhythmic) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
abismosismo
📚 Etymology▼

The word 'ritmo' comes from the ancient Greek word *rhythmós* (ῥυθμός), which originally meant 'flow,' 'measure,' or 'proportion.' It passed through Latin and arrived in Spanish, keeping its core meaning related to measured movement.

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: rhythmItalian: ritmoFrench: rythme

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'ritmo' masculine, since many Spanish nouns ending in -a are feminine?

'Ritmo' is masculine (el ritmo) because it comes from a group of Greek nouns that end in -ma or -mo, which are traditionally masculine in Spanish. Other examples of this pattern are 'el problema' and 'el clima'.