How to Say "earthquake" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “earthquake” is “temblor” — use 'temblor' when referring to a minor or moderate shaking of the earth that is not causing widespread damage.
temblor
tem-BLORtemˈbloɾ
Examples
Anoche sentimos un pequeño temblor.
We felt a small tremor last night.
El temblor no causó daños en la ciudad.
The shaking didn't cause damage in the city.
Muchos países de Latinoamérica tienen temblores frecuentes.
Many Latin American countries have frequent tremors.
Always Masculine
Even though it ends in '-or', it is a masculine noun. Use 'el' or 'un' with it: 'el temblor'.
Describing Shaking
In Spanish, we usually 'feel' (sentir) a tremor or 'there is' (haber) a tremor, rather than 'having' one like a possession.
Gender confusion
Mistake: “La temblor fue fuerte.”
Correction: El temblor fue fuerte. Words ending in -or are almost always masculine.
terremoto
tehr-reh-MOH-tohter.reˈmo.to
Examples
El terremoto de 1985 destruyó muchos edificios.
The 1985 earthquake destroyed many buildings.
Después del terremoto, la gente salió a la calle por seguridad.
After the earthquake, people went out into the street for safety.
Gender Check
'Terremoto' is a masculine noun. Always use 'el' or 'un' before it, even though it ends in '-o'.
Confusing Magnitude and Intensity
Mistake: “Un terremoto de 8.0 es muy grande.”
Correction: Se dice 'Un sismo de magnitud 8.0'. 'Terremoto' describes the event, 'magnitud' describes the measurement.
Temblor vs. Terremoto
Related Translations
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