en la playa
/en la plaʝa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "at the beach" is translated into Spanish as en la playa.
en la playa is used to describe being located on the sandy area next to the ocean.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of en (in/at), la (the, feminine) and playa (beach).
How does it change in a sentence?
The preposition en is used to express both being "at" the beach and being "on" the beach.
How do you pronounce it?
/en la plaʝa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use a la playa to mean "at the beach". However, a la playa actually means "to the beach" and indicates movement toward the location.
Did you know?
- In some Latin American contexts, a playa can refer to a specific type of open, flat parking area or a loading zone for trucks.
- The word playa is a relative of the English word 'plague' in a very distant sense, as both can be traced back to roots involving striking or covering an area.
- A person can be en la playa without being near the ocean, as the term can also describe the sandy banks of a river.
Examples in context
- Estoy en la playa.I'm at the beach.This sentence is useful for saying you are currently at the beach using en la playa.Tatoeba #2127446 by marcelostockle, translation #2127255 by sysko
- Yanni estaba en la playa.Yanni was at the beach.This sentence is useful for describing someone who was at the beach using en la playa.Tatoeba #10024709 by manufrutos, translation #10024106 by Amastan
- Pasamos el día en la playa.We spent the day at the beach.This sentence is useful for describing spending time at the beach using en la playa.Tatoeba #8944664 by diegohn, translation #3305885 by Hybrid
- Sería un placer disfrutar de un día en la playa con usted.It would be a pleasure to enjoy a day at the beach with you.
- ¡Vamos a pasar un día increíble en la playa!Let's have an amazing day at the beach!
- Quedemos en la orilla del mar para jugar vóley.Let's meet on the seaside to play volleyball.
- Voy a pasar el día en la costa.I'm going to spend the day at the beach/coast.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro calls María to see where she is.
- Alejandro¿Dónde estás, María?Where are you, María?
- MaríaEstoy en la playa con mi familia.I am at the beach with my family.
- Alejandro¡Qué envidia! Yo estoy trabajando.I'm so jealous! I am working.
- MaríaVen pronto a la playa.Come to the beach soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, la, playa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
