tablero
/taˈbleɾo/masculine
The English word board translates to Spanish as tablero or tabla.
Meaning: long, wide and thin piece of wood or other material (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tablero | /taˈbleɾo/ | masculine |
| tabla | /ˈtabla/ | feminine |
In Spanish, the word for board depends heavily on what kind of board you are describing. Tabla is used to refer to a physical plank or a piece of wood used for construction. If you are talking about a chalkboard or a whiteboard used in a classroom, use pizarra. To specify a drawing board, use the phrase tabla de dibujo and a bulletin board is called a tabla de anuncios. Note that for a computer keyboard, the correct word is teclado, not tablero.
Which one should you use?
Use tablero when referring to a game board or a flat surface like a dashboard. Use tabla when referring to a physical plank or a piece of wood used as a building material.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/taˈbleɾo/
Did you know?
- While 'board' can mean a group of people (a board of directors), in Spanish you would never use tabla or tablero, instead using the word junta.
- In the context of music, the 'fingerboard' of a guitar is called the diapasón, not tabla or tablero.
- Because tabla comes from the Latin 'tabula', it is a distant linguistic cousin to the English word 'table'.
Examples in context
- La tabla es de alrededor de dos metros de largo.The board is about two meters long.This sentence is useful for describing the length of a tabla.Tatoeba #1897208 by marcelostockle, translation #44421 by CK
- Cuando los niños juegan al Go, usan un tablero de 5×5 y 7×7 líneas.When children play Go, they use a 5-by-5 or 7-by-7 board.This sentence shows how tablero is used in the context of a game.Tatoeba #1618599 by teskmon, translation #1615223 by Benjameno
- Este tablero tiene 2 metros de alto, 40 cm de ancho y 5 cm de espesor.This board is 2 metres tall, 40 cm wide, and 5 cm thick.This sentence provides the dimensions for a tablero.Tatoeba #1658288 by wallebot, translation #12931862 by araneo
- Necesito un tablero para la presentaciónI need a board for the presentation
- El profesor escribe en la pizarraThe professor writes on the board
- El panel de expertos se reunirá mañanaThe expert panel will meet tomorrow
- Voy a colocar el aviso en el tablónI'm going to put the notice on the board
- Utilicé una mesa de dibujo para hacer el bocetoI used a drawing board to sketch it
- El maestro escribe en la pizarraThe teacher writes on the board
- 47 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are preparing for a craft project at home.
- DanielNecesitamos un tablero de madera para la mesa.We need a wooden board for the table.
- LucíaTengo un tablero pequeño en el garaje.I have a small board in the garage.
- Daniel¿Ese tablero es lo suficientemente grande?Is that board big enough?
- LucíaSí, ese tablero servirá perfectamente.Yes, that board will work perfectly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “board” translations and entries tablero, tabla, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tabla, tablero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
