heavy metal
/ˌxebi meˈtal/masculine
In Spanish, heavy metal is called heavy metal or rock pesado.
Meaning: genre of music (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| heavy metal | /ˌxebi meˈtal/ | masculine |
| rock pesado | /roɡk pesado/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
The term refers to the specific genre of music. You can use either the English loanword or the Spanish translation to describe this style of music.
Which one should you use?
While heavy metal is widely used as a loanword, rock pesado is the literal Spanish translation used to describe the genre.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the term power metal is occasionally used to refer to a subgenre of heavy metal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is a masculine noun. It is typically preceded by the definite article el when it is used as a subject or an object.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌxebi meˈtal/
Did you know?
- If you are talking about weight rather than music, using pesado to describe a person can be a biting insult. It implies that the person is 'heavy' in the sense of being incredibly annoying or tiresome.
- The word metal shares its linguistic ancestry with the English word 'metal', both tracing back to the Ancient Greek μέταλλον meaning 'mine' or 'quarry'.
- In some Spanish-speaking circles, rock pesado is used as a broader umbrella term that includes everything from hard rock to death metal, whereas heavy metal is often seen as a more specific stylistic choice.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuál es tu guitarrista de heavy metal favorito?Who's your favorite heavy metal guitarist?This sentence is useful for asking about a favorite guitarist of heavy metal.Tatoeba #5147689 by don_ramon, translation #908712 by CK
- ¿Qué te hace pensar que a Tom le gusta el heavy metal?What makes you think that Tom likes heavy metal?This sentence is useful for asking why someone thinks a person likes heavy metal.Tatoeba #1512861 by marcelostockle, translation #1510596 by CK
- ¡El concierto de metal duro anoche fue alucinante!Last night's heavy metal concert was mind-blowing!
- El heavy metal es muy ruidoso.Heavy metal is very loud.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about their music tastes.
- LucíaMateo, ¿qué tipo de música escuchas?Mateo, what kind of music do you listen to?
- MateoMe encanta el heavy metal.I love heavy metal.
- LucíaEs un género muy intenso.It is a very intense genre.
- MateoSí, por eso me gusta tanto.Yes, that is why I like it so much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “heavy metal” translations and entries heavy metal, rock pesado, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heavy, heavy metal, metal, pesado, rock, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
