Inklingo

How to Say "ships" in Spanish

English → Spanish

barcos

BAR-kohs/ˈbaɾ.kos/

nounA1general
Use 'barcos' for general, often large, watercraft like cargo ships, passenger ships, or fishing boats.
An illustration showing three large, colorful ships sailing together on a calm blue sea.

Examples

Los barcos de pesca regresaron al amanecer.

The fishing boats returned at dawn.

Vimos muchos barcos grandes en el canal.

We saw many large ships in the canal.

Necesitamos más barcos para transportar la mercancía.

We need more vessels to transport the merchandise.

Plural Rule

Since the singular form 'barco' ends in a vowel ('o'), you just add an '-s' to make it plural: barco → barcos.

Gender Matching

Because 'barcos' is a masculine noun, any describing words (adjectives) used with it must also be masculine and plural (e.g., 'los barcos nuevos', not 'las barcos nuevas').

Using the Wrong Article

Mistake: “Las barcos son grandes.”

Correction: Los barcos son grandes. (Since 'barcos' is masculine, you must use the masculine plural article 'los'.)

envía

verbA1general
Use 'envía' when referring to the action of sending or transporting something, like packages or messages, not a physical vessel itself.

Examples

Ella siempre envía correos electrónicos muy tarde.

She always sends emails very late.

naves

NAH-vehsˈnaβes

nounA2general
Choose 'naves' for large maritime vessels, often implying a sense of grandeur, history, or exploration, and also used for spacecraft.
Three large wooden sailing ships with white sails floating on blue ocean water.

Examples

Las naves antiguas cruzaban el océano en tres meses.

The ancient ships crossed the ocean in three months.

El capitán revisó todas las naves antes de zarpar.

The captain checked all the vessels before setting sail.

Gender Reminder

Remember that 'nave' is feminine, so even though it refers to a large object, you use feminine articles: 'la nave' (singular) and 'las naves' (plural).

Mixing up Nave and Barco

Mistake: “Using 'nave' for any small boat.”

Correction: While technically correct, 'nave' usually implies a large, serious vessel (like a ship or spacecraft). Use 'barco' or 'bote' for smaller, everyday boats.

Confusing Vessels with Sending

The most common mistake is using 'envía' (to send) when you mean a physical boat or ship. Remember that 'envía' is a verb describing an action, while 'barcos' and 'naves' are nouns for the actual vessels.

Related Translations

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