How to Say "Drum" in Spanish - How To Say Guide

tambor

/tamˈboɾ/masculine

The English word "drum" is tambor in Spanish.

tambor refers to the musical instrument. You may also encounter the verb tamborear, which means to beat with a rapid succession of strokes.

Meaning: musical instrument (noun)

Related words

The plural form of tambor is tambores.

/tamˈboɾ/

The name tambor is actually a diminutive form that evolved from the Arabic word ṭabbūl. It is effectively a 'little drum' that became the standard name in Spanish.
In certain Spanish-speaking Caribbean traditions, the word tambor describes not just the object but an entire genre of ritual music and dance. To 'play the drum' is to perform a spiritual rite.
In some Spanish-speaking regions, tambor can refer to the cylindrical shape of a washing machine drum or a chemical oil drum, blending musical and industrial terminology.

¿Me vendes un tambor?
Can you sell me a drum?
Tatoeba #10639643 by JSKabylie, translation #12246151 by Miktsoanit
Nicanor toca el tambor.
Nicanor plays the drum.
Tatoeba #13477879 by Seael, translation #13478031 by rul
El tambor es el señor de la música.
The drum is the lord of music.
Tatoeba #1060994 by Shishir, translation #1060992 by shanghainese
El tambor es un instrumento musical muy versátil.
The drum is a very versatile musical instrument.
El músico tocaba la caja con gran destreza en la sinfónica.
The musician played the drum with great skill in the symphony.
El baterista siempre sorprende con sus solos de redoblante.
The drummer always amazes with his snare drum solos.
En la fiesta, el músico tocaba el bombo legüero con gran pasión.
At the party, the musician played the drum with great passion.
6 more sentences on Tatoeba

Daniel and Elena are in a music store.

Sources

Wiktionary, “drum” translations and entries tambor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries tambor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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