bahía
/baˈia/feminine
The Spanish word for bay is bahía.
bahía is a feminine noun used to describe a body of water. It can also appear as part of a proper name, such as La Bahía.
Meaning: body of water (noun)
Which one should you use?
While bahía is the standard term for a bay, Rada is a formal term used specifically in nautical contexts to refer to a bay where ships can anchor safely.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of bahía is bahías.
How do you pronounce it?
/baˈia/
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, a 'bay window' is not translated as ventana de bahía but is usually called a ventana mirador.
- The term bahía is frequently used in the names of luxury resorts and residential developments across Latin America to evoke an image of exclusivity and calm waters.
- In certain Spanish-speaking coastal regions, you might hear people use the word ensenada to describe a small bay or inlet, which refers specifically to a small indentation in the coastline.
Examples in context
- El derrame petrolífero contaminó la bahía.The oil spill polluted the bay.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe an oil spill in the bahía.Tatoeba #1804033 by marcelostockle, translation #681756 by Source_VOA
- El monte Fuji es hermoso visto desde la bahía Suruga.Mt. Fuji as seen from Suruga Bay is beautiful.This sentence shows how to describe a view of Mt. Fuji from the bahía.Tatoeba #2427490 by camilou, translation #266968 by CN
- Un espejismo aparece en ocasiones en la bahía de Toyama.A mirage sometimes shows up in Toyama Bay.This sentence demonstrates how a mirage might appear in the bahía.Tatoeba #5461970 by albrusgher, translation #318763 by CM
- La bahía de Panamá es muy hermosa.The bay of Panama is very beautiful.
- El barco se encontraba en la rada de Barcelona.The ship was in the bay of Barcelona.
- Vamos a disfrutar de la cala de Mallorca este verano.Let's enjoy the bay of Mallorca this summer.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are standing on a balcony overlooking the ocean.
- Mateo¿Ves esa bahía tan azul?Do you see that blue bay?
- SofíaSí, Mateo, es impresionante.Yes, Mateo, it is impressive.
- MateoPodemos ir a nadar allí.We can go swimming there.
- SofíaEs una idea excelente.That is an excellent idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bay” translations and entries bahía, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
