Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| banco | /ˈbanko/ | masculine |
| banca | /ˈbanka/ | feminine |
banco refers to a financial institution. In professional or legal contexts, you might see institución bancaria (banking institution) or the more generic and formal entidad financiera. Related phrases include cuenta bancaria (bank account) and cajero automático (ATM). To say you have an account at a bank, you use the phrase tener la cuenta en. When you want to describe the act of putting money into a bank, you can use ahorrar, depositar or ingresar.
Which one should you use?
While banco refers to the physical institution, it also means a bench used for sitting. In contrast, banca is used as an abstract noun to refer to the banking industry or sector. The feminine adjective bancaria is used to describe things related to banking, such as cuenta bancaria.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the word caja is commonly used to refer to a bank, particularly when specifically referring to savings banks.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
banco is a masculine noun, while banca is a feminine noun. The adjective form bancaria is the feminine version of 'banking'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbanko/
Did you know?
- A 'bank rupture' or bankruptcy in Spanish is bancarrota, which literally means 'broken bench'.
- In Spanish, the word banco can refer to a school of fish.
- In some contexts, banca can refer to a traditional outrigger boat, borrowed from the Tagalog word bangka.
Examples in context
- Él entró al banco.He went into the bank.This sentence uses banco to describe entering a bank.Tatoeba #1639483 by marcelostockle, translation #295557 by CK
- Estoy en el banco.I'm at the bank.This sentence uses banco to describe being at a bank.Tatoeba #2817645 by marcelostockle, translation #2549518 by CK
- Quiero ir al banco.I want to go to the bank.This sentence uses banco to express a desire to go to a bank.Tatoeba #6989491 by cueyayotl, translation #13046915 by araneo
- 241 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are walking in the city center.
- María¿Hay algún banco por aquí?Is there a bank around here?
- MateoSí, el banco está a la vuelta.Yes, the bank is around the corner.
- MaríaPerfecto, Mateo, gracias por la ayuda.Perfect, Mateo, thanks for the help.
- MateoDe nada, María, nos vemos luego.You're welcome, María, see you later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bank” translations and entries banco, banca, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries banca, banco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
