ventilador
/bentilaˈdoɾ/
The English phrase 'air fan' is translated into Spanish as ventilador.
The word ventilador refers to a device with rotating blades that creates a current of air to cool a room or a person.
Which one should you use?
While ventilador is the general term, you can be more specific about the type of fan. Use ventilador de techo to specify a ceiling fan, and use ventilador de pie to specify a pedestal or floor fan.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of ventilador is ventiladores.
How do you pronounce it?
/bentilaˈdoɾ/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish speaking countries, if you ask for a ventilador in a medical context, you are referring to a ventilator used to help a patient breathe rather than a cooling fan.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you want to say someone is 'fanning' themselves with a manual fan, you would use the verb abanicar instead of ventilar.
- The word ventilador is a cognate of the English word 'ventilator', though in English 'ventilator' now almost exclusively refers to medical equipment.
Examples in context
- Hace mucho calor, enciende el ventilador, por favor.It's very hot, please turn on the fan.
- El ventilador hace mucho ruido.The fan is making a lot of noise.
- Necesito comprar un ventilador para mi cuarto.I need to buy a fan for my room.
- Enciende el ventilador, por favor.Turn on the fan, please.
Example conversation
A hot afternoon in a living room.
- Lucía¿Tienes calor, Javier?Are you hot, Javier?
- JavierSí, hace mucho calor aquí.Yes, it is very hot in here.
- LucíaVoy a encender el ventilador.I am going to turn on the fan.
- JavierGracias, Lucía, me vendría muy bien.Thanks, Lucía, it would be very helpful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ventilador, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ventilador, CC BY-SA 4.0.
