How to Say "turnpike" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “turnpike” is “autopista” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
La autopista tiene tres carriles.
The highway has three lanes.
Prefiero ir por la autopista porque es más rápido.
I prefer to go on the highway because it is faster.
Hay mucho tráfico en la autopista hoy por la mañana.
There is a lot of traffic on the motorway this morning.
Always Feminine
The word ends in 'a' and is feminine, so you must use 'la' or 'una' and make sure any describing words match: 'la autopista nueva'.
Using 'Por' vs 'En'
When talking about traveling 'on' or 'along' the highway, Spanish speakers usually use 'por' (por la autopista) instead of 'en'.
Confusing it with any road
Mistake: “Calling a small city street an 'autopista'.”
Correction: Only use 'autopista' for large, high-speed roads with multiple lanes and no stoplights.
The 'El' trap
Mistake: “Saying 'el autopista'.”
Correction: Always say 'la autopista'. Even though it's a long word, it follows the standard female gender rule.
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