How to Say "bars" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “bars” is “bares” — use 'bares' when referring to establishments where people go to drink alcoholic beverages and often eat snacks or meals..
bares
/BAH-rehs//ˈbaɾes/
Examples
Vamos a un bar para tomar algo después del trabajo.
Let's go to a bar to have a drink after work.
Hay muchos bares en el centro de la ciudad.
There are many bars in the city center.
Nos gusta ir de bares los fines de semana.
We like to go bar-hopping on the weekends.
La presión de los neumáticos debe ser de dos bares.
The tire pressure should be two bars.
Making Words Plural
When a Spanish word ends in a consonant like 'r', you add '-es' to the end to talk about more than one. That's why 'bar' becomes 'bares'.
Technical Units
Just like the drinking establishment, the scientific unit 'bar' also adds '-es' to become plural.
Avoid the English Plural
Mistake: “los bars”
Correction: los bares
barras
BAH-rras/ˈbaras/
Examples
Los niños jugaban en las barras paralelas del gimnasio.
The children played on the parallel bars in the gym.
Las barras de la jaula eran de acero.
The bars of the cage were made of steel.
Siempre desayunamos en la barra de la cafetería.
We always have breakfast at the café counter.
Necesitas dos barras de chocolate para esta receta.
You need two bars of chocolate for this recipe.
Gender Reminder
Remember that 'barras' is the plural of 'barra,' which is feminine (la barra). You must use feminine adjectives with it.
rejas
/REH-hahs//ˈrexas/
Examples
Las ventanas de la casa antigua tienen rejas de hierro.
The windows of the old house have iron bars.
Pusimos rejas en las ventanas para estar más seguros.
We put bars on the windows to be safer.
Las rejas del jardín están pintadas de verde.
The garden railings are painted green.
A Word for Many
Even though one single bar is a 'reja,' you will almost always hear 'rejas' because metal security structures usually have many bars together.
Not Just for Jail
Mistake: “Thinking 'rejas' always implies someone is a criminal.”
Correction: In many Spanish-speaking countries, 'rejas' are a standard home feature for safety on ground-floor windows.
bares
Examples
La presión recomendada para estos neumáticos es de 35 libras por pulgada cuadrada o 2.4 bares.
The recommended pressure for these tires is 35 PSI or 2.4 bars.
Bar vs. Rod vs. Grate
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