Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| atestado | /atesˈtado/ |
| abarrotado | /abaroˈtado/ |
| atiborrado | /atiboˈrado/ |
These adjectives are used to describe a space containing a dense pack or mass of something. If you wish to specify what a place is crowded with using the word atestado, use the preposition de, such as atestado de gente (crowded with people). Another very common and slightly less intense way to express that a place is crowded is to use the phrase lleno de gente (full of people).
Which one should you use?
While atestado and abarrotado describe a space being crowded, atiborrado often implies being stuffed or crammed to excess. It is frequently used when people are eating or when objects are being forced into a space.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, atestado must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes, appearing in the forms atestado/a/os/as.
How do you pronounce it?
/atesˈtado/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, atestado can also mean 'testified' or 'attested', as it shares a root with the verb atestar meaning to provide evidence.
- While atiborrado means 'crowded' or 'stuffed', it is the go-to word when someone has eaten so much that they physically cannot take another bite.
- The word abarrotado comes from barrote, which means 'bar' or 'rod'. It originally described a space so full that it was as if it had been blocked off with bars.
Examples in context
- Hoy está abarrotado otra vez.It's crowded again today.This sentence uses abarrotado.Tatoeba #1563172 by teskmon, translation #1140087 by CK
- El barco estaba muy abarrotado.The boat was very crowded.Tatoeba #4962815 by Ruthdq, translation #4478361 by Hybrid
- El mercado estaba atestado de gente.The market was crowded.This sentence uses atestado.Tatoeba #10267814 by Seael, translation #10267812 by Hybrid
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are deciding whether to enter a restaurant.
- AlejandroEl restaurante está atestado de clientes.The restaurant is crowded with customers.
- LucíaEs verdad, parece que no hay sitio.It's true, it looks like there is no room.
- Alejandro¿Quieres ir a otro lugar menos atestado?Do you want to go somewhere less crowded?
- LucíaSí, prefiero un sitio más tranquilo.Yes, I prefer a quieter place.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crowded” translations and entries atestado, abarrotado, atiborrado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abarrotado, atestado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
