bajo
/ˈbaxo/masculine
In Spanish, 'bass' (referring to the musical instrument) is bajo.
The term for the musical instrument 'bass' is bajo. In a musical context, it is common to use the definite article el before the word, resulting in el bajo. To specify an electric bass guitar, you can use the phrase bajo eléctrico. Note that other terms exist for different contexts: contrabajo may be used for the double bass, particularly in classical music, while Bocinegro, Robalo and Lubina can refer to different species of bass.
Meaning: musical instrument (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word bajo can function as both the musical instrument 'bass' and as an adjective meaning 'low'.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbaxo/
Did you know?
- While bajo refers to the instrument, the word bajeza is used to describe a 'low' or despicable act, showing how the concept of 'low' carries a moral weight in Spanish.
- In some contexts, bajo can refer to the ground floor or a basement apartment, often called a piso bajo.
- Because bajo also means 'short' when describing a person's height, a musician might be described as bajo in two completely different ways during a rehearsal.
Examples in context
- Él toca el bajo.He plays bass guitar.Tatoeba #2571582 by marcelostockle, translation #2571543 by Hybrid
- A ella le gusta ese bajo.She likes that bass.Tatoeba #1258795 by marcelostockle, translation #309902 by CK
- Tom toca el bajo en nuestra banda.Tom plays the bass guitar in our band.Tatoeba #2571581 by marcelostockle, translation #2571551 by CK
- El bajista de la orquesta interpretó un solo en el contrabajo.The orchestra's bassist performed a solo on the double bass.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about their musical instruments.
- LucíaMateo, ¿está listo tu bajo?Mateo, is your bass ready?
- MateoSí, Lucía, ya lo afiné.Yes, Lucía, I already tuned it.
- LucíaQué bueno, el bajo suena genial.That's great, the bass sounds awesome.
- MateoGracias, es un bajo nuevo.Thanks, it is a new bass.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bass” translations and entries bajo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
