heavy metal
/ˌxebi meˈtal/
Heavy metal music in Spanish is heavy metal.
The phrase refers to a genre of rock music characterized by loud, distorted guitars and powerful drumming. You can use música de heavy metal enérgica specifically to describe the music as energetic.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, people often shorten the term to just heavy. In Latin America, you may use the phrase metal pesado to refer to the genre.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌxebi meˈtal/
Did you know?
- Spanish speakers often use the term metalero to describe someone who loves this music. This adds the suffix -ero, typically used for professions, jokingly treating being a fan as a full-time job.
- While metal pesado is a literal translation of 'heavy metal', the word pesado is frequently used in Spanish to describe something 'annoying' or 'tiresome'. This can make the phrase sound like you are complaining about the music being a nuisance.
- The word metal traces back to the Ancient Greek métallon, which originally meant a 'mine' or 'quarry' rather than the physical material itself.
Examples in context
- Metallica es una banda de heavy metal muy influyenteMetallica is a highly influential heavy metal band
- Escucho heavy metal para entrenar.I listen to heavy metal to work out.
- A mi hermano le gusta mucho el heavy metal.My brother likes heavy metal a lot.
- Esa banda toca heavy metal de forma increíble.That band plays heavy metal incredibly well.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are talking about music in a cafe.
- Daniel¿Qué tipo de música prefieres tú?What kind of music do you prefer?
- LucíaMe encanta el heavy metal.I love heavy metal.
- Daniel¡Vaya! No sabía que te gustaba ese estilo.Wow! I didn't know you liked that style.
- LucíaSí, es mi género favorito.Yes, it is my favorite genre.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry heavy metal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heavy, heavy metal, metal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
