Inklingo

How to Say "reservoir" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “reservoir” is “depósito” — use 'depósito' for a general storage space, like a storage room or a warehouse, especially for non-liquid items..

depósitoA2

Use 'depósito' for a general storage space, like a storage room or a warehouse, especially for non-liquid items.

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tanque🔊A2

Use 'tanque' specifically for a container designed to hold a large volume of liquid or gas, such as a gas tank or water tank.

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estanque🔊A2

Use 'estanque' for a small, often decorative, man-made body of water, like a garden pond or a small pool.

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pantano🔊B2

Use 'pantano' for a large, artificial lake created by damming a river, typically used for water storage or hydroelectric power.

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embalseB2

Use 'embalse' for the body of water held back by a dam, synonymous with 'pantano' in many contexts but often preferred for the water itself.

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presa🔊B2

While 'presa' primarily means 'dam', it can sometimes refer to the body of water held back by the dam, though 'embalse' is more common for the water.

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English → Spanish

depósito

nounA2general
Use 'depósito' for a general storage space, like a storage room or a warehouse, especially for non-liquid items.

Examples

Dejamos las cajas viejas en el depósito de la escuela.

We left the old boxes in the school's storage room.

tanque

TAHN-keh/ˈtaŋke/

nounA2general
Use 'tanque' specifically for a container designed to hold a large volume of liquid or gas, such as a gas tank or water tank.
A large, simple blue cylindrical water storage tank standing on four metal legs against a clear blue sky.

Examples

Necesito parar para llenar el tanque de gasolina.

I need to stop to fill the gas tank.

Revisamos el nivel del agua en el tanque.

We checked the water level in the tank.

estanque

es-TAHN-kay/esˈtaŋke/

nounA2general
Use 'estanque' for a small, often decorative, man-made body of water, like a garden pond or a small pool.
A peaceful small pond with lily pads and a few stones around the edge.

Examples

Los niños tiran pan a los patos en el estanque.

The children throw bread to the ducks in the pond.

Mi abuelo tiene un pequeño estanque con peces de colores.

My grandfather has a small pond with goldfish.

El agua del estanque está muy limpia este año.

The water in the reservoir is very clean this year.

Masculine Noun Ending in -e

Even though many words ending in -e can be tricky, 'estanque' is masculine. Always use 'el' or 'un' with it.

Don't confuse with 'Estanco'

Mistake: “Using 'estanque' to mean a tobacco shop.”

Correction: In Spain, a tobacco shop is an 'estanco'. An 'estanque' is only for water!

pantano

/pan-TAH-noh//panˈtano/

nounB2general
Use 'pantano' for a large, artificial lake created by damming a river, typically used for water storage or hydroelectric power.
A large, calm body of blue water contained by a massive, gray concrete dam wall.

Examples

Fuimos a pescar al pantano que está cerca del pueblo.

We went fishing at the reservoir near the town.

El nivel del pantano ha bajado mucho por la sequía.

The reservoir level has dropped a lot due to the drought.

Double Meaning Alert

In Spain, 'pantano' often means a large, man-made lake used to store water. Pay attention to the context to know if they mean a natural swamp or a reservoir.

embalse

nounB2general
Use 'embalse' for the body of water held back by a dam, synonymous with 'pantano' in many contexts but often preferred for the water itself.

Examples

El nivel del embalse ha bajado considerablemente este verano.

The level of the reservoir has dropped considerably this summer.

presa

PREH-sah/ˈpɾe.sa/

nounB2general
While 'presa' primarily means 'dam', it can sometimes refer to the body of water held back by the dam, though 'embalse' is more common for the water.
A storybook illustration of a massive concrete dam structure blocking a blue river, creating a large reservoir on one side.

Examples

La construcción de la presa cambió el ecosistema del valle.

The construction of the dam changed the valley's ecosystem.

Tuvimos que cruzar la presa para llegar al otro lado del río.

We had to cross the dam to get to the other side of the river.

Confusing Water Storage Terms

Learners often confuse 'pantano', 'embalse', and 'presa' when referring to large bodies of water created by dams. Remember that 'pantano' and 'embalse' refer to the artificial lake itself, while 'presa' is the dam structure. For general storage or tanks, 'depósito' and 'tanque' are the correct choices.

Related Translations

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