Inklingo

How to Say "boat" in Spanish

English → Spanish

barco

BAR-ko'baɾ.ko

NounA1General
Use 'barco' for a general, often larger, water vessel like a ship or a large boat.
A simple wooden sailboat with a large white sail floating on calm blue water under a bright sky.

Examples

El barco sale del puerto a las ocho.

The ship leaves the port at eight.

Compramos un barco de pesca pequeño.

We bought a small fishing boat.

El crucero es un barco de lujo muy grande.

The cruise ship is a very large luxury ship.

Masculine Noun: 'el barco'

Remember that 'barco' is a masculine word, so you always use 'el' for 'the' (el barco) and 'un' for 'a' (un barco).

'Barco' vs. 'Bote'

Mistake: “Using 'bote' to talk about a large ship.”

Correction: 'Barco' is a great general term for any ship or boat. 'Bote' usually means a very small boat, like a rowboat or dinghy.

embarcación

NounB1General
Use 'embarcación' as a more formal or technical term for any watercraft, encompassing smaller boats as well as ships.

Examples

Vimos una pequeña embarcación en el horizonte.

We saw a small vessel on the horizon.

Barco vs. Embarcación

Learners often use 'barco' for all types of boats, but 'embarcación' is a broader, more encompassing term. Reserve 'barco' for larger vessels to sound more natural, and use 'embarcación' when referring to any kind of water transport, especially if its size or type is less important.

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