Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| vestido | /besˈtido/ | masculine |
| traje | /ˈtɾaxe/ | masculine |
| veste | /ˈbeste/ | feminine |
The term refers to an item of clothing that covers the upper part of the body and includes a skirt below the waist. If you are describing a dress with an adjective, such as 'a red dress', the adjective follows the noun (e.g., Un vestido rojo). For comparison, a falda is a skirt and a blusa is a blouse.
Which one should you use?
While vestido refers to a one-piece woman's dress, traje is used to refer to a formal suit consisting of a jacket and trousers or a skirt. Do not use vestido to mean a suit for men. Use traje instead.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of putting on clothes, use the reflexive verb vestirse. When describing how someone is dressed in a specific style or color, use the phrase ir vestido de.
How do you pronounce it?
/besˈtido/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use vestir when they intend to say 'to dress oneself'. In Spanish, you must use the reflexive form vestirse for the act of getting dressed.
Did you know?
- A traje de luces literally translates to a 'suit of lights' and refers to the heavily embroidered, glittering outfit worn by bullfighters.
- In some Latin American countries, traje de baño is the standard term for a swimsuit, even though traje usually refers to a formal suit.
- Even though traje means a formal suit, it shares a historical lineage with the English word 'train'.
Examples in context
- Ese es mi vestido.That's my dress.This sentence identifies a specific dress.Tatoeba #4548433 by Shishir, translation #2478822 by Hybrid
- El vestido es verde.The dress is green.This sentence describes the color of the dress.Tatoeba #909258 by Shishir, translation #801728 by CM
- ¿Mi vestido es lindo?Is my dress pretty?This sentence asks for an opinion on the dress.Tatoeba #1794860 by marcelostockle, translation #13068336 by rul
- Está usando un vestido hermoso.She is wearing a beautiful dress
- Me compré un vestido nuevo.I bought a new dress
- 273 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are at a clothing store.
- Javier¿Te gusta este vestido, María?Do you like this dress, María?
- MaríaSí, el vestido es precioso.Yes, the dress is beautiful.
- JavierA ti te quedaría muy bien.It would look very good on you.
- MaríaGracias, Javier, lo voy a comprar.Thanks, Javier, I am going to buy it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dress” translations and entries vestido, traje, veste, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries traje, veste, vestido, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
