Inklingo

How to Say "tv" in Spanish

English → Spanish

tele

/teh-leh//ˈtele/

nounA1informal
Use 'tele' as a casual, everyday term for the television set or the medium of television, similar to saying 'the telly' or 'TV' in English.
A simple, colorful, retro-style television set sitting on a surface. The screen displays a bright, simple picture, like a yellow star.

Examples

¿Qué hay en la tele esta noche?

What's on TV tonight?

Compramos una tele nueva para el salón.

We bought a new television for the living room.

Pasa mucho tiempo mirando la tele.

She spends a lot of time watching TV.

Gender Shortcut

Even though 'tele' ends in '-e', it is always feminine ('la tele') because it is a shortened form of the feminine word 'la televisión'. The nickname keeps the original gender.

Using the Wrong Article

Mistake: “El tele”

Correction: La tele. Remember that the full word is 'la televisión', so you must use the feminine article 'la' with the shortened version.

televisión

/teh-leh-vee-SYON//teleβiˈsjon/

nounA1
Use 'televisión' as a more formal or standard term for the television set (the appliance) or the concept of television broadcasting.
A high quality illustration of a simple, classic, box-shaped television set with a large screen, placed on a small wooden table.

Examples

Compramos una televisión nueva para la sala.

We bought a new television set for the living room.

Por favor, apaga la televisión antes de salir.

Please turn off the TV before leaving.

Feminine Noun Pattern

Most Spanish words ending in -ción (like canción or información) are feminine, so they use 'la' or 'una'.

televisivo

/te-le-bee-SEE-bo//teleβiˈsiβo/

adjectiveB1
Use 'televisivo' only when you need an adjective to describe something related to television, such as a 'TV show' or 'TV program'.
A modern professional video camera on a tripod used in a television studio.

Examples

Este es el mejor programa televisivo del año.

This is the best television show of the year.

Muchos actores prefieren el cine al medio televisivo.

Many actors prefer movies over the television medium.

La empresa busca nuevas estrellas para su próximo proyecto televisivo.

The company is looking for new stars for its next TV project.

Changing for Gender

This word ends in 'o,' so it must change to 'a' when describing something feminine. For example: 'un programa televisivO' but 'una serie televisivA'.

Where to put the word

In Spanish, describing words like this usually come AFTER the thing they are describing. You say 'programa televisivo,' not 'televisivo programa.'

Using it as a Noun

Mistake: “Me gusta ver el televisivo.”

Correction: Me gusta ver la televisión.

Using nouns as adjectives

The most common mistake is using the nouns 'tele' or 'televisión' when you actually need the adjective 'televisivo'. Remember, 'televisivo' modifies a noun, like in 'programa televisivo' (TV show), while 'tele' and 'televisión' refer to the object or medium itself.

Related Translations

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