Inklingo

How to Say "heading" in Spanish

English → Spanish

rumbo

/rrohm-boh//ˈrumbo/

nounA2general
Use 'rumbo' when referring to a specific direction of travel, a course, or a path being followed, especially in navigation.
A small red sailboat follows a visible dashed line across the ocean directly toward a distant green island, symbolizing its nautical course.

Examples

El capitán ajustó el timón y puso rumbo al sur.

The captain adjusted the rudder and set a course for the south.

Perdimos el rumbo por culpa de la niebla espesa.

We lost our heading because of the thick fog.

El avión lleva rumbo a Madrid.

The plane is heading toward Madrid.

Using 'Rumbo' with 'A'

When you talk about setting a direction toward a specific place, you almost always use the preposition 'a' (to/toward): 'rumbo a la costa' (heading to the coast).

Using 'Por' instead of 'A'

Mistake: “El tren va por rumbo Barcelona.”

Correction: El tren va rumbo a Barcelona. ('Rumbo a' is the fixed phrase for destination.)

título

nounA1general
Use 'título' when referring to the name or title of a chapter, a section within a document, or a creative work like a song.

Examples

¿Cuál es el título de tu canción favorita?

What is the title of your favorite song?

Direction vs. Text Title

Learners often confuse 'rumbo' and 'título' by using the word for direction ('rumbo') when they mean the title of a text or section. Remember, 'título' is for the name of something written or a creative piece, while 'rumbo' is about physical or metaphorical direction.

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