How to Say "parking garage" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “parking garage” is “estacionamiento” — use 'estacionamiento' for a general, multi-level structure where cars are parked, often found in urban areas or attached to commercial buildings.
Use 'estacionamiento' for a general, multi-level structure where cars are parked, often found in urban areas or attached to commercial buildings.
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Opt for 'aparcamiento' when referring to a multi-story parking structure, particularly common in Spain and understood in many other regions.
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Use 'parque' (often as 'parque de estacionamiento') for a parking facility, especially when referring to an underground or multi-story structure, more common in Spain.
Learn more →ess-tah-syoh-nah-mee-en-tohestasionaˈmjento
Examples
El centro comercial tiene un estacionamiento muy grande.
The mall has a very large parking lot.
¿Dónde está el estacionamiento más cercano?
Where is the nearest parking garage?
Dejé mi coche en el estacionamiento subterráneo.
I left my car in the underground parking structure.
Always Masculine
Even though it ends in '-a' in the middle, remember the full word is masculine, so use 'el estacionamiento' or 'un estacionamiento'.
Confusing the place and the action
Mistake: “Using 'parquear' (verb) instead of the noun 'estacionamiento' when referring to the location.”
Correction: Use 'estacionamiento' for the place, and 'estacionar' for the action of parking.
a-par-ka-MIEHN-toa.paɾ.kaˈmjen.to
Examples
¿Dónde está el aparcamiento más cercano?
Where is the nearest parking lot?
El centro comercial tiene un aparcamiento subterráneo muy grande.
The shopping center has a very large underground parking garage.
La escasez de aparcamiento en la ciudad es un problema crónico para los residentes.
The scarcity of parking in the city is a chronic problem for residents.
The -miento ending
Nouns ending in '-miento' (like 'aparcamiento') are almost always masculine and refer to the result or action of the verb they come from (in this case, 'aparcar,' meaning 'to park').
Gender confusion
Mistake: “La aparcamiento”
Correction: El aparcamiento. Remember, this noun is masculine (uses 'el').
PAR-kehˈpaɾke
Examples
Dejé mi coche en el parque subterráneo.
I left my car in the underground parking garage.
Necesitamos encontrar un parque cerca del centro comercial.
We need to find a parking lot near the mall.
Compound Terms
When 'parque' refers to parking, it is often part of a longer phrase, like 'parque de coches' (car park) or 'parque de bomberos' (fire station/fire engine park).
Estacionamiento vs. Aparcamiento
Learners often wonder whether to use 'estacionamiento' or 'aparcamiento'. While both are widely understood for 'parking lot' or 'garage', 'estacionamiento' is generally more common in Latin America, whereas 'aparcamiento' is more prevalent in Spain. For a general, multi-story structure, either will likely work, but be aware of regional preferences.
Related Translations
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