Inklingo

How to Say "lottery ticket" in Spanish

English → Spanish

billete

bee-YEH-tehbiˈʎe.te

nounA2general
Use 'billete' for a general lottery ticket that represents a chance to win, especially when the specific type of ticket is not important.
A small, rectangular white travel ticket with a simple colored stripe and a perforated edge, suggesting a transit pass.

Examples

Compré un billete para la lotería nacional con la esperanza de ganar.

I bought a ticket for the national lottery hoping to win.

Necesito comprar un billete de tren a Madrid.

I need to buy a train ticket to Madrid.

Perdimos el avión porque no encontramos nuestros billetes.

We missed the plane because we couldn't find our tickets.

Compré un billete de lotería con la esperanza de ganar.

I bought a lottery ticket hoping to win.

Travel vs. Events

Use 'billete' mostly for major transport (planes, trains). For concerts or movies, you usually say 'entrada' or 'boleto' (especially in Latin America).

Using 'billete' for a movie ticket

Mistake: “Compré dos billetes para la película.”

Correction: Compré dos entradas/boletos para la película. ('Billete' sounds too formal for a quick event ticket.)

cupón

nounA2colloquial (Spain)
Use 'cupón' specifically in Spain for tickets associated with the ONCE lottery, or more broadly for any voucher or coupon.

Examples

Mi abuela siempre compra un cupón de la ONCE cada semana.

My grandmother always buys an ONCE ticket every week.

décimo

nounB2specific
Use 'décimo' when referring to a specific one-tenth share of a full lottery ticket, commonly sold for large national lotteries like the Christmas draw.

Examples

Vendemos décimos de la Lotería de Navidad en la administración.

We sell tenths of the Christmas Lottery ticket at the office.

General vs. Specific Lottery Tickets

Learners often use 'billete' for all lottery tickets, but it's important to know that 'cupón' is specific to Spain's ONCE lottery and 'décimo' refers to a share of a larger ticket. Using 'billete' is usually safe, but these specific terms add nuance.

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