entretenido
/entɾeteˈnido/
The English word 'entertaining' translates to Spanish as entretenido. Wiktionary also lists divertido and entretenedor.
Meaning: amusing (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| entretenido | /entɾeteˈnido/ |
| divertido | /dibeɾˈtido/ |
| entretenedor | /entɾeteneˈdoɾ/ |
| entreteniente | /entɾetenjente/ (from spelling rules) |
| divirtiente | /dibiɾtjente/ (from spelling rules) |
The term is used to describe something that is amusing.
Which one should you use?
While both entretenido and divertido mean 'entertaining', they have different nuances. entretenido often implies something that holds one's attention or keeps one occupied, whereas divertido specifically emphasizes that something is fun or amusing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective entretenido must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, changing to entretenida for feminine nouns. The adjective entretenido must agree in number with the noun it modifies, changing to entretenidos for masculine plural nouns and entretenidas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/entɾeteˈnido/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the form entreteniente.
Did you know?
- If you call a person entretenido, you might actually be saying they are 'distracted' rather than 'entertaining'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you say a party was entretenida, it might sound like a slight critique, implying it was merely 'passable' or 'kept you busy' rather than truly 'fun'.
- The word entretenido comes from the prefix 'entre-' and 'tener', literally meaning 'to hold between'.
Examples in context
- Este juego es muy entretenido.This game is very entertaining.This sentence is useful for describing how a game is entertaining using entretenido.Tatoeba #4856450 by jodafig, translation #4856328 by Hybrid
- La obra de teatro fue muy divertida.The play was very entertaining.
- El discurso del presidente fue realmente divertido.The president's speech was truly entertaining.
- El evento fue ameno y educativo.The event was entertaining and educational.
- La conferencia resultó muy amena y enriquecedora.The lecture was very entertaining and enriching.
- Esa película estuvo muy entretenida.That movie was very entertaining.
- Pasé una tarde muy entretenida en el parque.I had a very entertaining afternoon at the park.
- ¡La fiesta de anoche fue divertidísima!Last night's party was incredibly entertaining!
- Nos reímos muchísimo, fue una tarde divertidísima.We laughed a lot, it was an incredibly entertaining afternoon.
- ¡La fiesta fue divertida de veras!The party was seriously entertaining!
- El documental fue muy entretenido.The documentary was very entertaining.
- No fue un viaje muy entretenido.It was not a very entertaining trip.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are talking about a show they watched.
- AlejandroMe gustó mucho el programa.I liked the show a lot.
- LucíaSí, fue muy entretenido.Yes, it was very entertaining.
- Alejandro¿Quieres ver otro episodio?Do you want to watch another episode?
- LucíaClaro, busquemos uno más.Sure, let's look for one more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “entertaining” translations and entries entretenido, divertido, entretenedor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
