vehículo
“vehículo” means “vehicle” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
vehicle, car
Also: means of transport
📝 In Action
Todos los vehículos deben respetar el límite de velocidad.
A2All vehicles must respect the speed limit.
Compramos un vehículo nuevo para la familia.
A1We bought a new car for the family.
Los vehículos de emergencia tienen prioridad en la carretera.
B1Emergency vehicles have priority on the road.
medium, means
Also: channel
📝 In Action
El arte es un vehículo poderoso para el cambio social.
B2Art is a powerful medium for social change.
Este periódico sirvió como vehículo para sus ideas políticas.
C1This newspaper served as a channel for his political ideas.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "vehículo" in Spanish:
vehicle→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: vehículo
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'vehículo' in its figurative (abstract) sense?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes directly from the Latin word *vehiculum*, which itself is derived from the verb *vehere*, meaning 'to carry' or 'to convey.' This origin perfectly explains both the literal meaning (carrying people/goods) and the figurative meaning (carrying ideas/emotions).
First recorded: Medieval Latin texts.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'vehículo' the same as 'coche' or 'carro'?
Not exactly. 'Vehículo' is the general term for *anything* that transports (a car, a bus, a bike, even a spaceship). 'Coche' (Spain) or 'carro' (Latin America) are specific types of vehicles—personal passenger cars.
Why does 'vehículo' have an accent mark?
The accent mark on the 'i' tells you exactly where the stress falls when you say the word: veh-Í-cu-lo. If it didn't have the accent, the stress would fall on the second-to-last syllable, which would be incorrect.