bolera
/boleɾa/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase bowling alley translates to Spanish as bolera. Wiktionary also lists boliche and cancha de bowling.
Meaning: a building which contains bowling lanes (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bolera | /boleɾa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| boliche | /boˈlit͡ʃe/ | masculine |
| cancha de bowling | feminine |
A bowling alley refers to a building which contains bowling lanes.
Which one should you use?
The phrase cancha de bowling is often used to refer specifically to the bowling lane or the playing area rather than the entire building.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the feminine form bolera is the standard term. In parts of South America, especially Argentina and Uruguay, the term boliche can be used to refer to a bowling alley.
How do you pronounce it?
/boleɾa/
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, 'boliche' is also a common slang term in Argentina for a small bar or nightclub.
- The word cancha, used in 'cancha de bowling', originates from the Quechua word for a 'circular enclosure'.
- The word boliche can also refer to a small neighborhood grocery store or a general store in certain regional dialects.
Examples in context
- Perdió su audífono en la bolera.He lost his hearing aid at the bowling alley.Tatoeba #1633951 by wallebot, translation #10361098 by LimeGreenTeknii
- ¿Vamos a la bolera esta noche?Shall we go to the bowling alley tonight?
- ¿Vamos a jugar a los bolos al boliche?Shall we go bowling at the bowling alley?
- La bolera está cerrada los lunes.The bowling alley is closed on Mondays.
- Nos vemos en la bolera a las ocho.See you at the bowling alley at eight.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are planning their evening activities.
- Elena¿Quieres ir a la bolera esta noche?Do you want to go to the bowling alley tonight?
- MateoSí, me encanta ir a la bolera contigo.Yes, I love going to the bowling alley with you.
- ElenaPerfecto, entonces reservo una pista para nosotros.Perfect, then I will reserve a lane for us.
- Mateo¡Genial! Te veo allá más tarde.Great! See you there later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bowling alley” translations and entries bolera, boliche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bolera, boliche, bowling, cancha, de, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
