billar
/biˈʝaɾ/masculine
The English phrase billiards is translated into Spanish as billar. Wiktionary also lists chapolín.
Meaning: any cue sport (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| billar | /biˈʝaɾ/ | masculine |
| chapolín | /t͡ʃapoˈlin/ | masculine |
The term refers to any cue sport. It is a masculine noun.
Is it said differently in some regions?
chapolín is a form.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb jugar (to play), you must use the contraction al (a + el) before the masculine noun billar.
How do you pronounce it?
/biˈʝaɾ/
Did you know?
- Be careful with the word chapolín, as in many Mexican contexts, it actually refers to a type of grasshopper rather than a billiard term.
- Historically, the word billar traces its roots back to the Frankish word bikkilbor.
- While billar refers to the sport, the word billar can also refer to the actual table used in the game, depending on the region.
Examples in context
- ¿Vamos a jugar al billar?Are we going to play billiards?This sentence is useful for asking if someone wants to play billiards.Tatoeba #996379 by hayastan, translation #12926753 by rul
- A Tom le gusta jugar al billar.Tom likes to play billiards.This sentence is useful for expressing a person's preference for playing billiards.Tatoeba #5016845 by don_ramon, translation #6772251 by Eccles17
- Dice que no sabe jugar al billar, pero siempre gana. Debe de ser la suerte del principiante.She says she can't play billiards, but she wins every time. It must be beginner's luck.This sentence is useful for describing a situation involving playing billiards and beginner's luck.Tatoeba #1630465 by Shishir, translation #1646429 by marcelostockle
- ¿Te apetece jugar al billar?Would you like to play billiards?
Example conversation
Daniel and María are deciding what to do on a Friday night.
- Daniel¿Quieres ir al club de billar?Do you want to go to the billiards club?
- MaríaNo, prefiero ir al cine.No, I prefer to go to the cinema.
- DanielPero el billar es más divertido.But billiards is more fun.
- MaríaEstá bien, vamos al billar entonces.Alright, let's go to the billiards club then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “billiards” translations and entries billar, chapolín, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries billar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
