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ritmo

/REET-moh/

rhythm

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.

The ritmo (rhythm) is the steady, repetitive pattern of a musical beat.

ritmo(noun)

mA1

rhythm

?

musical beat or pattern

,

beat

?

the pulse of music

Also:

tempo

?

speed of music

📝 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

💡 Grammar Points

Gender Trap

Even though 'ritmo' ends in -o, it's a masculine noun, so it always uses 'el' (el ritmo) and masculine adjectives.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing Noun and Adjective

Mistake: "Usar 'rítmico' cuando se quiere decir 'ritmo'. (e.g., 'El rítmico es lento.')"

Correction: Use the noun 'ritmo'. The adjective 'rítmico' means 'rhythmic'. (e.g., 'El ritmo es lento.')

⭐ Usage Tips

Use with Dance

If you are struggling to keep up with a group activity, especially dancing or music, you can say 'No puedo seguir el ritmo' (I can't keep up/follow the rhythm).

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

Maintaining a careful ritmo (pace) is important when covering a long distance.

ritmo(noun)

mB1

pace

?

rate of speed or progress

,

rate

?

speed or frequency of occurrence

Also:

speed

?

velocity of movement

📝 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

💡 Grammar Points

Using Prepositions

When talking about the speed or rate, 'ritmo' is usually preceded by 'a' (at a certain pace) or 'de' (the pace of something). For example: 'Trabajar A un buen ritmo' or 'El ritmo DE crecimiento'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'velocidad' instead of 'ritmo'

Mistake: "Usar 'la velocidad de vida' para referirse al ritmo de vida."

Correction: While 'velocidad' is speed, 'ritmo' is the better word for the general feeling or consistency of life or work. Use 'el ritmo de vida'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Setting Expectations

If you need someone to work slower or faster, you can use the phrase: 'Por favor, ajusta tu ritmo' (Please adjust your pace).

✏️ 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

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'.