Inklingo

How to Say "cove" in Spanish

English → Spanish

bahía

nounB1general
Use 'bahía' for a small, sheltered bay or inlet, often a general term for a coastal indentation where boats might anchor.

Examples

La bahía estaba llena de pequeños barcos de pesca.

The bay was full of small fishing boats.

abra

/AH-brah//ˈa.βɾa/

nounB2geographical
Use 'abra' specifically for a gap or opening in a mountain range or a similar break in a natural barrier, not typically a coastal feature in the sense of a 'cove'. The example provided refers to a mountain pass, not a coastal inlet.
A visual representation of a geographical gap: two large green hills separated by a narrow, clear path or opening.

Examples

Tuvimos que cruzar la abra de la sierra para llegar al valle.

We had to cross the mountain pass to reach the valley.

La abra en la costa ofrecía un refugio natural para los barcos.

The inlet on the coast offered a natural shelter for the boats.

Gender Note

This noun is feminine: 'la abra'. Note that it does not follow the rule of using 'el' before feminine nouns that start with a stressed 'a' sound, because 'abra' is not stressed on the first syllable.

Confusing Coastal Inlets with Mountain Gaps

Learners often mistakenly use 'abra' for a coastal cove because it sounds similar to 'bay'. However, 'abra' in Spanish most commonly refers to a pass or opening in mountains, not a coastal indentation like 'bahía'.

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