Inklingo

How to Say "clothing" in Spanish

English → Spanish

ropa

/ROH-pah//'ro.pa/

NounA1general/formal
Use 'ropa' when referring to clothes in a general sense, such as for everyday wear, shopping, or when discussing your wardrobe broadly.
A colorful pile of various garments, including a folded shirt, a pair of pants, and a sweater, representing the concept of clothes.

Examples

Necesito comprar ropa nueva.

I need to buy new clothes.

Puse toda la ropa sucia en la lavadora.

I put all the dirty laundry in the washing machine.

Esta tienda vende ropa de hombre y de mujer.

This store sells men's and women's clothing.

Always Singular for 'Clothes'

In Spanish, 'ropa' is a special type of noun that means a group of things. Even when you're talking about many shirts, pants, and socks, you almost always use the singular form 'la ropa'. Think of it like 'furniture' or 'information' in English; you wouldn't say 'furnitures'.

Using 'Ropas' for 'Clothes'

Mistake: “Tengo muchas ropas nuevas.”

Correction: Tengo mucha ropa nueva. The plural 'ropas' is very rare and only used to talk about different *types* of clothing collections (like 'ropa de invierno' and 'ropa de verano' are two different 'ropas'). For everyday use, 99% of the time, you should stick with singular 'ropa'.

vestuario

/ves-TWAH-rio//besˈtwa.ɾjo/

NounA2general
Use 'vestuario' when referring to a set of clothes for a specific purpose, like costumes for a play, an actor's entire wardrobe, or a company's uniform policy.
An illustration of an open wooden wardrobe closet filled with many colorful shirts, pants, and dresses hanging neatly on racks and folded on shelves.

Examples

El vestuario para la obra de teatro es muy colorido.

The costumes (wardrobe) for the play are very colorful.

Necesito actualizar mi vestuario de trabajo.

I need to update my work wardrobe.

Ella tiene un vestuario increíblemente elegante.

She has an incredibly elegant collection of clothes.

Always Masculine

Even though 'ropa' (clothing) is feminine, 'vestuario' is always masculine, so you must use 'el' or 'un' with it.

General vs. Specific Clothing

Learners often mistakenly use 'vestuario' when they simply mean 'clothes' in general. Remember that 'ropa' is your go-to for everyday clothing, while 'vestuario' implies a more specific collection or set.

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