lancha
small motorboat
A boat in Mexican Spanish depends on the size. A small motorboat is a lancha, a small boat is a bote, and a bigger vessel is a barco.
Meaning: a vessel on water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| lancha | small motorboat |
| bote | small boat |
| barco | ship or large boat |
Tourists take a lancha to reach an island or go fishing, and a bote can be a rowboat or a small fishing boat. A cruise ship is a crucero and a large cargo ship is a barco.
Which one should you use?
In Mexico bote can also mean a can or a bucket, as in bote de basura for a trash can, so the context matters.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word barco is also used for a big ship, and buque is a more formal word for a large vessel.
Examples in context
- Rentamos una lancha para ir a la isla.We rented a boat to go to the island.
- El barco sale a las diez.The ship leaves at ten.
- Pasamos la tarde en un bote.We spent the afternoon in a small boat.
Example conversation
Tourist Ana asks a boatman named Don Pedro about a trip in Acapulco.
- AnaBuenos días, ¿cuánto cuesta la lancha?Good morning, how much is the boat?
- Don PedroQuinientos pesos por una hora.Five hundred pesos for an hour.
- AnaEstá bien, vamos.Okay, let us go.
