Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| choque automovilístico | /t͡ʃoke automobilistiko/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| colisión viaria | /kolisjon bjaɾja/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| accidente vial | /aɡθidente bjal/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /aɡsidente bjal/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
While choque automovilístico refers to a car crash, speakers often shorten this to just choque in everyday conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The word choque comes from the verb chocar, which means to crash or collide.
Which one should you use?
The term accidente vial is broader and can include any road accident, whereas choque specifically implies a collision between vehicles.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For highly formal or technical contexts, such as official police reports or news broadcasts, use colisión viaria. Other formal options include accidente automovilístico and colisión de coches, or choque de vehículos when you specifically mean a vehicle collision.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun choque is masculine and is preceded by the masculine articles un or el. The noun colisión is feminine and is preceded by the feminine articles una or la.
Did you know?
- The word choque was borrowed from the English word 'shock'.
- In Spanish, the word choque can be used to describe an emotional or cultural clash, not just a physical collision between cars.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, you might hear someone describe a car crash simply as a choque, even if no other vehicle was involved, such as hitting a wall.
Examples in context
- Ha habido un accidente automovilístico en la calle principalThere has been a car crash on the main street
- ¡Ha habido un choque en la calle principal!There has been a crash on the main street!
- El choque automovilístico ocurrió en la avenida principal.The car crash occurred on the main avenue.
- Hubo un choque automovilístico cerca de mi casa.There was a car crash near my house.
- La policía investiga el choque automovilístico.The police are investigating the car crash.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are talking about the traffic jam.
- MateoEl tráfico está terrible hoy, Lucía.Traffic is terrible today, Lucía.
- LucíaSí, Mateo, hubo un choque automovilístico.Yes, Mateo, there was a car crash.
- Mateo:¿Están heridos los conductores?Are the drivers injured?
- LucíaNo, parece que solo fueron daños materiales.No, it seems it was only material damage.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “car crash” translations, 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 accidente, automovilístico, choque, colisión, vial, CC BY-SA 4.0.
