Inklingo

How to Say "landing" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “landing” is “aterrizaje” — use this word when referring to the act of an aircraft, helicopter, or spacecraft touching down on the ground or a surface..

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aterrizaje

/a-teh-rree-SAH-heh//ateɾiˈsahe/

nounB1
Use this word when referring to the act of an aircraft, helicopter, or spacecraft touching down on the ground or a surface.
A simple, colorful storybook illustration showing a large commercial airplane touching down on a long runway, illustrating the moment the aircraft reaches the ground.

Examples

El aterrizaje del avión fue muy suave.

The plane's landing was very smooth.

El piloto anunció que el aterrizaje sería en diez minutos.

The pilot announced that the landing would be in ten minutes.

La pista de aterrizaje estaba cubierta de nieve, lo que causó retrasos.

The landing strip was covered in snow, which caused delays.

Tuvieron que realizar un aterrizaje de emergencia por fallas técnicas.

They had to carry out an emergency landing due to technical failures.

Gender Rule

As a masculine noun, 'aterrizaje' always uses the article 'el' (el aterrizaje) and requires masculine adjectives (un aterrizaje perfecto).

Confusing the Verb and Noun

Mistake: “Using 'aterrizar' when referring to the event: 'El aterrizar fue difícil.'”

Correction: Use the noun 'aterrizaje': 'El aterrizaje fue difícil.' (The landing was difficult.)

descanso

/des-CAN-so//desˈkanso/

nounB2
Use this word for the flat area or platform on a staircase between flights of steps, or at the top or bottom.
A brightly colored wooden staircase featuring a wide, flat landing area between the lower and upper steps.

Examples

Subimos las escaleras y nos detuvimos un momento en el descanso.

We went up the stairs and stopped for a moment on the landing.

Dejamos la caja grande en el descanso antes de subir al segundo piso.

We left the large box on the landing before going up to the second floor.

El sendero tiene un pequeño descanso natural donde los excursionistas se detienen.

The path has a small natural resting point where hikers stop.

Technical Vocabulary

This meaning is specific to construction or geography. When speaking generally, most people use the more common synonym 'rellano' for a staircase platform.

Aircraft vs. Staircase

The most common mistake is using 'aterrizaje' for a staircase landing. Remember, 'aterrizaje' specifically refers to the descent and touchdown of a vehicle like a plane or spacecraft, while 'descanso' is for the architectural feature of a staircase.

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