caballete
/kabaˈʝete/masculine
The Spanish word for easel is caballete. Wiktionary also lists atril.
Meaning: upright frame for displaying or supporting something (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| caballete | /kabaˈʝete/ | masculine |
| atril | /aˈtɾil/ | masculine |
The term caballete is used to describe an upright frame for supporting or displaying something. In some Spanish-speaking areas, it is also used to refer to a podium or a lectern.
Which one should you use?
Use caballete specifically when you are referring to an artist's easel used for painting or drawing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of caballete is los caballetes.
How do you pronounce it?
/kabaˈʝete/
Did you know?
- The word caballete is actually a diminutive of caballo, meaning 'horse'.
- In Spanish, the word caballete is also used to describe a sawhorse used in carpentry.
- The word caballete can also refer to the trestle of a bridge or a support beam in architecture.
Examples in context
- Para la próxima clase de pintura, asegúrate de traer tu caballete.For the next painting class, make sure to bring your easel.
- Estoy buscando un tripié para pintar, ¿dónde puedo encontrar uno?I am looking for an easel to paint, where can I find one?
- Mi hermana está aprendiendo a pintar y le compré un caballetito para que practique en casa.My sister is learning to paint, and I bought her a little easel for her to practice at home.
- El caballete es de madera oscura.The easel is made of dark wood.
- Necesito un caballete para mi nueva pintura.I need an easel for my new painting.
- Coloca el lienzo sobre el caballete.Place the canvas on the easel.
Example conversation
In an art studio, Javier is setting up for a class.
- SofíaJavier, ¿puedes mover ese caballete?Javier, can you move that easel?
- JavierSí, lo pongo junto a la ventana.Yes, I'll put it next to the window.
- SofíaGracias, el caballete se ve mucho mejor ahí.Thanks, the easel looks much better there.
- JavierDe nada, Sofía.You're welcome, Sofía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “easel” translations and entries caballete, atril, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries atril, caballete, CC BY-SA 4.0.
