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How to Say "gorge" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word forgorgeis cañónuse 'cañón' when referring to a large, deep valley, often carved by a river, similar to an American 'canyon'..

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cañón

nounB1general
Use 'cañón' when referring to a large, deep valley, often carved by a river, similar to an American 'canyon'.

Examples

El Gran Cañón es una maravilla natural impresionante.

The Grand Canyon is an impressive natural wonder.

garganta

gar-GAN-tah/ɡaɾˈɣanta/

nounB2general
Choose 'garganta' for a very narrow valley, ravine, or pass, emphasizing its constricted nature.
A landscape illustration depicting a deep, narrow gorge with steep rocky walls on both sides and a small river flowing through the base.

Examples

La carretera serpentea a través de una garganta rocosa.

The road winds through a rocky gorge.

Tuvimos que cruzar una garganta muy estrecha para llegar al valle.

We had to cross a very narrow gorge to reach the valley.

La garganta de la botella es demasiado pequeña para el cepillo.

The neck of the bottle is too small for the brush.

Cañón vs. Garganta

The most common mistake is using 'garganta' for any large, open valley. Remember that 'cañón' is the better fit for wide, deep valleys like the Grand Canyon, while 'garganta' implies a much narrower, more constricted passage.

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