Inklingo

How to Say "pants" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “pants” is “pantalones” — use 'pantalones' when referring to pants as a general category of clothing covering the legs, or when talking about a pair of pants in a plural sense..

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pantalones

pahn-tah-LOH-nays/pantaˈlones/

nounA1general
Use 'pantalones' when referring to pants as a general category of clothing covering the legs, or when talking about a pair of pants in a plural sense.
A single pair of neatly folded blue jeans, illustrating the concept of pants.

Examples

Me encantan estos pantalones nuevos.

I love these new pants.

Me compré unos pantalones negros para el trabajo.

I bought myself some black pants for work.

Sus pantalones favoritos están en la lavadora.

His favorite trousers are in the washing machine.

Necesitas unos pantalones más formales para la reunión.

You need more formal pants for the meeting.

Mandatory Plural

Even when referring to a single garment, 'pantalones' is almost always used in the plural. You will always say 'los pantalones' (the pants) or 'unos pantalones' (some pants).

Gender and Articles

Since it is a masculine noun, use the plural masculine article 'los' (the) or 'unos' (some/a pair of) before the word.

Using the Singular

Mistake: “Compré un pantalón azul.”

Correction: Compré unos pantalones azules. (While 'pantalón' exists, using the plural is much more common and sounds natural.)

pantalón

pahn-tah-LOHN/pantaˈlon/

nounA1general
Use 'pantalón' when referring to a single, specific garment or item of clothing that covers the legs.
A pair of classic blue trousers displayed neatly against a plain background.

Examples

Necesito planchar un pantalón antes de la reunión.

I need to iron one pair of pants before the meeting.

Tengo un pantalón azul muy cómodo.

I have a pair of very comfortable blue pants.

Este pantalón me queda un poco grande de la cintura.

These pants are a bit big on me at the waist.

Necesitas un pantalón oscuro para la entrevista de trabajo.

You need dark trousers for the job interview.

Singular vs. Plural for one item

In Spanish, you can use the singular 'el pantalón' or the plural 'los pantalones' to refer to a single pair of pants. Both are perfectly correct!

Gender and Matching

This is a masculine word. Any describing words (adjectives) should end in 'o', like 'pantalón negro' (black pants).

The 'Pair' Confusion

Mistake: “Un par de pantalón.”

Correction: Un pantalón OR Un par de pantalones.

Gender Mix-up

Mistake: “La pantalón.”

Correction: El pantalón.

Plural vs. Singular Garment

The most common mistake is not realizing that 'pantalones' is the default and most frequent way to refer to pants, even when talking about a single pair. While 'pantalón' exists for a single garment, 'pantalones' is often used idiomatically for 'a pair of pants'.

Related Translations

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