centro comercial
/ˌθentɾo komeɾˈθjal/masculine
The English word 'mall' is translated into Spanish as centro comercial. Wiktionary also lists shopping and mall.
Meaning: enclosed shopping centre (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| centro comercial | /ˌθentɾo komeɾˈθjal/ /ˌsentɾo komeɾˈsjal/ |
masculine |
| shopping | /ˈʃopin/ /ˈʃobpinɡ/ |
Argentina, masculine |
| mall | /ˈmol/ | masculine |
| mol | /ˈmol/ | masculine |
The term is used to describe an enclosed shopping centre.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase centro comercial literally translates to 'commercial center'.
Which one should you use?
Centro comercial is the standard, most widely understood term for a mall across the Spanish-speaking world.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the English loanword shopping is commonly used to refer to a mall. In many Latin American countries, particularly Mexico, plaza is a commonly used term for a shopping mall.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because centro comercial is masculine, you must use the masculine article el or un when referring to it.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌθentɾo komeɾˈθjal/
Did you know?
- The word centro comes from the Ancient Greek kéntron, which meant 'sharp point' or a tool used to sting.
- In Argentina, the word shopping refers to the building itself, not the act of buying things. A speaker might say they are going to the shopping rather than going de shopping.
- In Mexico, the term plaza is used for malls, which is a linguistic evolution from the traditional town squares where trade originally happened.
Examples in context
- Ayer fuimos al centro comercial.We went to the mall yesterday.This sentence is useful for saying you went to the mall yesterday using centro comercial.Tatoeba #13538651 by Seael, translation #6351057 by CK
- He estado en el centro comercial.I've been to the mall.This sentence is useful for saying you have been to the mall using centro comercial.Tatoeba #1055651 by Shishir, translation #31121 by CK
- El centro comercial está desierto.The mall is deserted.This sentence is useful for describing the state of the mall using centro comercial.Tatoeba #1713632 by marcelostockle, translation #1418611 by Spamster
- Me encanta ir de compras al centro comercial los fines de semana.I love going shopping at the mall on weekends.
- Voy a la plaza a hacer unas compras.I'm going to the mall to do some shopping.
- Voy a pasar la tarde de compras en el mall.I'm going to spend the afternoon shopping at the mall.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are deciding where to meet for lunch.
- María¿Quieres ir al centro comercial hoy?Do you want to go to the mall today?
- MateoSí, me gustaría comprar unos zapatos.Yes, I would like to buy some shoes.
- MaríaPerfecto, nos vemos en el centro comercial a las dos.Perfect, I'll see you at the mall at two.
- MateoDe acuerdo, allí estaré, María.All right, I'll be there, María.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mall” translations and entries centro comercial, shopping, mall, mol, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries centro, comercial, mall, mol, shopping, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
