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How to Say "boats" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “boats” is “barcos” — use 'barcos' for larger vessels, such as ships, ferries, or significant seafaring craft..

English → Spanish

barcos

BAR-kohs/ˈbaɾ.kos/

nounA1general
Use 'barcos' for larger vessels, such as ships, ferries, or significant seafaring craft.
An illustration showing three large, colorful ships sailing together on a calm blue sea.

Examples

Los barcos de pesca regresaron al amanecer.

The fishing boats returned at dawn.

Vimos muchos barcos grandes en el canal.

We saw many large ships in the canal.

Necesitamos más barcos para transportar la mercancía.

We need more vessels to transport the merchandise.

Plural Rule

Since the singular form 'barco' ends in a vowel ('o'), you just add an '-s' to make it plural: barco → barcos.

Gender Matching

Because 'barcos' is a masculine noun, any describing words (adjectives) used with it must also be masculine and plural (e.g., 'los barcos nuevos', not 'las barcos nuevas').

Using the Wrong Article

Mistake: “Las barcos son grandes.”

Correction: Los barcos son grandes. (Since 'barcos' is masculine, you must use the masculine plural article 'los'.)

botes

/BOH-tehs//ˈbotes/

nounA1general
Use 'botes' for smaller watercraft, like rowboats, dinghies, or small motorboats.
Two small wooden rowing boats floating on calm blue water.

Examples

Vimos muchos botes de madera en el río.

We saw many wooden boats on the river.

Necesito tres botes de pintura blanca.

I need three cans of white paint.

La pelota dio varios botes antes de salir.

The ball took several bounces before going out.

Making it Plural

Since 'bote' ends in a vowel, you just add an 's' to make it plural: 'botes'.

Boats vs. Ships

Mistake: “Using 'botes' for a large cruise ship.”

Correction: Use 'barcos' for large ships. 'Botes' are specifically small vessels like rowboats or lifeboats.

Barcos vs. Botes

The most common mistake is using 'barcos' for very small vessels. Remember that 'botes' specifically refers to smaller, often simpler, watercraft, while 'barcos' are generally larger and more substantial.

Related Translations

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