matrícula
/maˈtɾikula/
In Spanish, car tags is translated as matrícula.
In Spain, matrícula can refer to both the physical plate and the vehicle's registration number itself.
Which one should you use?
In many Latin American countries, the word placa is more commonly used than matrícula to refer to the physical license plate.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the term Matrícula del Coche is commonly used for car tags.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of matrícula is matrículas, which is used when referring to multiple plates.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈtɾikula/
Did you know?
- The word matrícula shares a common ancestor with the English word 'matrix', as both originate from the Latin 'mātrīx', meaning 'mother' or 'source'.
- If you ask for your matrícula at a university in Spain, you might not receive a car plate, but instead your official enrollment record or student ID number.
- In Spain, the matrícula is unique to the vehicle for its entire life, meaning the plate stays with the car even when the owner changes.
Examples in context
- La matrícula del coche está sucia.The car's license plate is dirty.
- ¿Puedes leer la matrícula?Can you read the license plate?
- Necesito renovar la matrícula este mes.I need to renew the car tags this month.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are looking at a car in a parking lot.
- DanielLucía, ¿cuál es la matrícula de este coche?Lucía, what is the license plate of this car?
- LucíaNo lo sé, Daniel, no puedo verla.I don't know, Daniel, I can't see it.
- DanielCreo que la matrícula es blanca.I think the car tag is white.
- LucíaSí, pero el número no es claro.Yes, but the number is not clear.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry matrícula, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries matrícula, CC BY-SA 4.0.
