Inklingo

How to Say "newspaper" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “newspaper” is “diario” — use 'diario' when referring to a publication that comes out every day, or more broadly, any periodical publication, and be aware it can also mean 'diary'.

English → Spanish

diario

dee-AH-reeodiˈa.rjo

nounA1general
Use 'diario' when referring to a publication that comes out every day, or more broadly, any periodical publication, and be aware it can also mean 'diary'.
A neatly folded newspaper lying flat on a colorful surface, without any visible text.

Examples

Mi abuelo lee el diario cada mañana con su café.

My grandfather reads the newspaper every morning with his coffee.

Compro el diario todas las mañanas en la cafetería.

I buy the newspaper every morning at the coffee shop.

Leí un artículo interesante en el diario de hoy.

I read an interesting article in today's paper.

Gender Reminder

Even though 'prensa' (press) is feminine, 'diario' (newspaper) is always masculine. Use 'el' or 'un' with it.

Confusing Noun and Adjective

Mistake: “No quiero ver algo diario. (I don't want to see something daily.)”

Correction: No quiero ver el diario. (I don't want to see the newspaper.) Use 'el' when referring to the object.

periódico

nounA1general
Choose 'periódico' when you specifically mean a daily printed news publication, emphasizing the 'periodical' aspect of news.

Examples

Busqué las noticias locales en el periódico de ayer.

I looked for the local news in yesterday's newspaper.

Diario vs. Periódico

Learners often confuse 'diario' and 'periódico' because both can mean 'newspaper'. Remember that 'diario' also means 'diary', so context is key. If you want to be precise about a daily news publication, 'periódico' is a safe choice, while 'diario' is common for the daily paper but could be misunderstood as a diary.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.