Inklingo

How to Say "life jacket" in Spanish

English → Spanish

salvavidas

/sal-ba-BEE-dahs//salbaˈβiðas/

nounA2general
Use 'salvavidas' when referring to wearable safety gear designed to keep someone afloat in water, often on boats or near swimming areas.
A bright orange life jacket laying flat on a wooden boat deck.

Examples

Es obligatorio llevar el salvavidas puesto en el barco.

It is mandatory to wear the life jacket on the boat.

El marinero lanzó un salvavidas al agua para ayudar al nadador.

The sailor threw a lifebuoy into the water to help the swimmer.

One or Many?

This word stays exactly the same whether you are talking about one life jacket or ten! To show there are more than one, just change 'el' to 'los'.

Don't change the ending

Mistake: “los salvavidases”

Correction: los salvavidas

chaleco

chah-LEH-koh/tʃaˈleko/

nounB1general
Use 'chaleco' when specifically referring to a life jacket as a piece of safety gear, often emphasizing its vest-like form, especially in contexts like 'chaleco salvavidas'.
A bright orange life jacket with reflective strips floating gently on calm blue water.

Examples

Pónganse el chaleco salvavidas antes de que el barco zarpe.

Put on the life jacket before the boat sails.

Los policías llevaban chalecos antibalas.

The police officers were wearing bulletproof vests.

Compound Nouns

To specify the type of protective vest, you often combine 'chaleco' with an adjective or another noun, like 'salvavidas' (life-saving) or 'antibalas' (anti-bullet).

Choosing between 'chaleco' and 'salvavidas'

Learners sometimes get confused between 'chaleco' and 'salvavidas'. While 'salvavidas' is a direct translation for 'life-saving device' and works well for a life jacket, 'chaleco' (vest) is often used in the compound 'chaleco salvavidas' to be more specific about the item's form.

Related Translations

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