Inklingo

How to Say "vehicles" in Spanish

English → Spanish

coches

KOH-chehs/ˈko.tʃes/

nounA1general term for transport
Use 'coches' for the most common type of road vehicle, especially cars and automobiles.
A row of three brightly colored, simple automobiles parked side-by-side on a street.

Examples

Hay muchos coches aparcados en la calle.

There are many cars parked on the street.

Mis padres compraron dos coches nuevos este año.

My parents bought two new cars this year.

Los coches eléctricos son más silenciosos.

Electric cars are quieter.

Plural Noun Rule

Since 'coche' ends in a vowel, you just add '-s' to make it plural: 'coche' (one car) becomes 'coches' (many cars).

Gender Confusion

Mistake: “La coches”

Correction: The singular form 'coche' is masculine, so the plural must use the masculine article: 'Los coches'.

autos

AH-tohs/ˈau̯.tos/

nounA1general term
Use 'autos' as a general term for cars, often interchangeable with 'coches', but can sometimes sound slightly more formal or be used in specific regions.
Three brightly colored, simple passenger cars driving along a road.

Examples

Necesitamos dos autos para llevar a todas las personas a la fiesta.

We need two cars to take everyone to the party.

Los autos modernos tienen mucha tecnología.

Modern automobiles have a lot of technology.

Gender Reminder

Even though 'auto' ends in -o, it is the shortened form of 'automóvil', which is masculine. Always use masculine articles: 'los autos'.

Regional Confusion

Mistake: “Using 'autos' when speaking to someone from Spain who might primarily use 'coches'.”

Correction: While 'autos' is understood everywhere, try using 'coche' if you are communicating mainly with people from Spain, or stick to 'auto' for Latin America.

vehículos

nounA1means of transport
Use 'vehículos' as a broad, more formal term encompassing all types of transport, including cars, trucks, buses, and even metaphorical means of expression.

Examples

Todos los vehículos tienen que pagar el peaje para pasar.

All vehicles have to pay the toll to pass.

vehículos

nounB2means or medium for expression
Use 'vehículos' metaphorically to refer to mediums or channels through which something is expressed or transmitted, like ideas or influence.

Examples

Los medios de comunicación son vehículos poderosos para la influencia política.

The media are powerful vehicles for political influence.

Cars vs. All Transport

Learners often use the general term 'vehículos' when they specifically mean 'cars'. In most everyday conversations about personal transportation, 'coches' or 'autos' are the more natural and common choices.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.