gol
/ˈɡol/
The Spanish word for goal is gol.
The term gol refers specifically to scoring in sports, such as soccer. To say 'to score a goal', use the collocation marcar un gol.
Meaning: result one is attempting to achieve (noun)
Which one should you use?
You should only use gol when referring to scoring in a sporting context. For an objective, an aim or a life goal, use meta. For example, a personal goal is meta personal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of gol is goles.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡol/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use gol when they actually mean a personal or professional goal. In those cases, you should use meta instead.
Did you know?
- While gol is the standard term, the phrase golazo is used to describe a spectacular or beautiful goal. Adding the suffix -azo transforms a simple noun into an expression of awe or great size.
- A gol en propia puerta is the Spanish term for an own goal. This translates literally to 'a goal in one's own door', reflecting the terminology where the goal frame is often called the puerta.
- The word gol is a linguistic loanword from English, meaning its origin is actually the English word 'goal'.
Examples in context
- Tom marcó un gol.Tom scored a goal.This sentence shows how to use the verb with the form gol.Tatoeba #10201632 by Shishir, translation #3688996 by CK
- El gol fue anulado.The goal was disallowed.Tatoeba #8100423 by Shishir, translation #9730409 by DJ_Saidez
- ¿Quién marcó el gol?Who scored the goal?This sentence is useful for asking who scored using the form gol.Tatoeba #10201221 by Shishir, translation #8976998 by CK
- Mi objetivo es mejorar mis habilidades de liderazgo.My goal is to improve my leadership skills.
- Nuestra meta es aumentar las ventas en un 10% este trimestre.Our goal is to increase sales by 10% this quarter.
- Mi propósito para este año es aprender a tocar la guitarra.My goal for this year is to learn to play the guitar.
- ¿Cuál es tu meta personal a corto plazo?What is your short-term personal goal?
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are watching a soccer match together.
- María¡Mira, Daniel! Casi marca un gol.Look, Daniel! He almost scored a goal.
- DanielSí, estuvo muy cerca del gol.Yes, he was very close to the goal.
- María¡Gol! ¡Por fin marcaron el gol!Goal! They finally scored the goal!
- Daniel¡Qué gol tan increíble!What an incredible goal!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gol, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gol, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
