bolos
/ˈbolos/masculine, plural
The English word bowling is translated into Spanish as bolos. Wiktionary also lists boliche and bowling.
Meaning: a game played by rolling a ball down an alley (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bolos | /ˈbolos/ | masculine, plural |
| boliche | /boˈlit͡ʃe/ | masculine |
| bowling | /ˈboulin/ | masculine |
The term refers to the game played by rolling a ball down an alley. To express the action of playing the game, you typically use the verb jugar followed by a los bolos or al boliche. If you are looking for a bowling facility, you can use the phrases centro de bolos or pista de bolos.
Which one should you use?
bolos is the most standard and widely understood way to refer to the game across most Spanish-speaking regions. boliche and bowling are other forms used in specific contexts or regions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Peru, the sport is often referred to as boliche. In Chile, the term bowling is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
bolos is a masculine plural noun. boliche and bowling are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbolos/
Did you know?
- In Argentina and Uruguay, the word boliche is more commonly used to refer to a nightclub or a bar than to the sport of bowling.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, bolos refers to a traditional folk game using wooden pins and balls played outdoors, which predates the modern American style of bowling.
- In some contexts, using bowling in Spanish is a 'pseudo-anglicism' because it was borrowed from French rather than directly from English.
Examples in context
- ¿Te gusta el boliche?Do you like bowling?This sentence is useful for asking if someone enjoys the sport using boliche.Tatoeba #4306510 by cueyayotl, translation #953201 by CK
- Creo que es altamente improbable que Tom vaya a jugar bolos.I think it's highly unlikely that Tom will go bowling.This sentence is useful for expressing the improbability of someone playing the game using bolos.Tatoeba #1278980 by marcelostockle, translation #1141248 by CK
- Juguemos a los bolosLet's play bowling.
- Me encanta ver el juego de bolosI love watching the game of bowling.
- Vamos a jugar al bolicheLet's go play bowling.
- ¡Derribé todos los bolos!I knocked down all the pins!
- ¿Puedes pasarme esa bola de bowling?Can you pass me that bowling ball?
- ¡Hice un pleno!I made a strike!
- Mañana iremos a jugar a los bolos.Tomorrow we will go play bowling.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are deciding on an activity for the weekend.
- Mateo¿Quieres ir a los bolos este sábado?Do you want to go bowling this Saturday?
- María¡Claro! Me encanta jugar a los bolos.Sure! I love playing bowling.
- MateoPerfecto, yo reservaré la pista.Perfect, I will reserve the lane.
- MaríaGracias, Mateo. Nos vemos el sábado.Thanks, Mateo. See you Saturday.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bowling” translations and entries bolos, boliche, bowling, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boliche, bowling, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
