Inklingo

How to Say "route" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “route” is “ruta” — use 'ruta' for the general physical course or journey of travel, like a road trip or a path you might lose..

ruta🔊A1

Use 'ruta' for the general physical course or journey of travel, like a road trip or a path you might lose.

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carretera🔊A1

Use 'carretera' specifically for a road, highway, or street that vehicles travel on.

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líneaA2

Use 'línea' to describe a specific, fixed path for public transportation like a bus, train, or subway.

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recorrido🔊A2

Use 'recorrido' for a planned or defined course from a starting point to an end point, often for events or tours.

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circuito🔊B1

Use 'circuito' for a specific, often closed, track or path designed for races or performances.

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víaB2

Use 'vía' to refer to a method or channel, particularly for administering medication or sometimes for communication.

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canal🔊B2

Use 'canal' for a channel or means through which goods, information, or money flow.

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English → Spanish

ruta

ROO-tah/ˈruta/

nounA1general
Use 'ruta' for the general physical course or journey of travel, like a road trip or a path you might lose.
A winding dirt road stretching over green hills. A bright red dashed line is superimposed on the road, indicating a physical route from the foreground to the background.

Examples

Perdimos la ruta y tuvimos que usar el GPS.

We lost the route and had to use the GPS.

Esta es la ruta más rápida para llegar al aeropuerto.

This is the fastest route to get to the airport.

La ruta de autobús número cinco pasa por el centro.

Bus route number five goes through downtown.

Verifica la ruta del archivo para asegurarte de que es correcto.

Check the file path to ensure it is correct.

Gender Reminder

Even though 'ruta' ends in -a, remember it is always feminine: 'la ruta' (the route).

carretera

/cah-rreh-TAY-rah//kareˈteɾa/

nounA1general
Use 'carretera' specifically for a road, highway, or street that vehicles travel on.
A wide, empty paved road with yellow dividing lines cutting through rolling green hills under a bright blue sky.

Examples

La carretera nacional está muy transitada hoy.

The national highway is very busy today.

Necesitamos un mapa para seguir la carretera hasta la costa.

We need a map to follow the road to the coast.

El viaje por carretera nos llevó dos días enteros.

The road trip took us two whole days.

Feminine Noun Rule

Since 'carretera' ends in '-a', it is a feminine word. Always use the feminine article 'la' or 'una' with it, and make any adjectives agree: 'la carretera ancha' (the wide road).

Road vs. Street

Mistake: “Using 'carretera' for small roads inside a city or town.”

Correction: Use 'calle' for streets within a city. 'Carretera' is usually the larger road connecting different towns or cities.

línea

nounA2transportation
Use 'línea' to describe a specific, fixed path for public transportation like a bus, train, or subway.

Examples

Tomo la línea 3 del metro todos los días.

I take line 3 of the subway every day.

recorrido

reh-koh-REE-doh/rekoˈriðo/

nounA2general
Use 'recorrido' for a planned or defined course from a starting point to an end point, often for events or tours.
A winding green path drawn across a sunny landscape, showing a clear start point and an end point.

Examples

¿Cuál es el recorrido de la maratón?

What is the route of the marathon?

El recorrido por la ciudad duró tres horas.

The tour of the city lasted three hours.

Necesitamos revisar el recorrido total antes de salir.

We need to check the total distance before leaving.

Gender Reminder

As a noun, 'recorrido' is always masculine, so you use 'el' or 'un' with it.

circuito

seer-KWEE-toh/siɾˈkwito/

nounB1sports, events
Use 'circuito' for a specific, often closed, track or path designed for races or performances.
A vibrant illustration of a simple, closed, winding red racetrack path laid out on a green field, emphasizing the continuous loop.

Examples

El Gran Premio se celebrará en el circuito de Mónaco.

The Grand Prix will be held on the Monaco circuit (track).

Hicimos un circuito turístico por todas las capitales andinas.

We did a tourist route (circuit) through all the Andean capitals.

La carrera de caballos tiene un circuito muy desafiante.

The horse race has a very challenging track.

Gender Reminder

Remember that 'circuito' is always masculine, so you use 'el' or 'un' with it (e.g., 'el circuito grande').

Confusing with 'círculo'

Mistake: “Usar 'círculo' when referring to a race track.”

Correction: 'Círculo' means a geometric shape (circle); 'circuito' means the path or loop of a route or track.

vía

nounB2medical, formal
Use 'vía' to refer to a method or channel, particularly for administering medication or sometimes for communication.

Examples

El medicamento se administra por vía oral.

The medication is administered orally (by mouth).

canal

kah-NAHL/kaˈnal/

nounB2business, communication
Use 'canal' for a channel or means through which goods, information, or money flow.
A clearly defined, wide, curving blue path representing a route, with small white envelopes flowing continuously along it from a starting point to an endpoint.

Examples

Debemos usar los canales oficiales para enviar esta información.

We must use the official channels to send this information.

La empresa distribuye sus productos por varios canales de venta.

The company distributes its products through various sales channels.

Figurative Use

This meaning extends the idea of a physical passage (like a river) to an abstract one (like a route for information or sales).

ruta

nounC1computing
Use 'ruta' in a computing context to refer to the path of a file or directory within a system.

Examples

Verifica la ruta del archivo para asegurarte de que es correcto.

Check the file path to ensure it is correct.

General Path vs. Specific Road

The most common mistake is using 'ruta' when 'carretera' is more appropriate. Remember, 'carretera' specifically means a physical road or highway for vehicles, while 'ruta' is a more general term for any path or journey.

Related Translations

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