prado
/ˈpɾado/masculine
The Spanish word for meadow is prado. Wiktionary also lists vega and zacatal.
Meaning: field or pasture (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| prado | /ˈpɾado/ | masculine |
| vega | /ˈbeɡa/ | feminine |
| zacatal | /θakaˈtal/ /sakaˈtal/ |
masculine |
| pastizal | /pastiˈθal/ /pastiˈsal/ |
masculine |
| yerbazal | /ʝeɾbaθal/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /ʝeɾbasal/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| hierbazal | /jeɾbaθal/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /jeɾbasal/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
What does it mean word for word?
The word hierbazal is formed from hierba (grass) and the suffix -al, denoting an abundance or place of that thing.
Which one should you use?
Use prado for a general meadow or grassy field. Use vega specifically for a fertile meadow or plain located in a river valley. Use pastizal when emphasizing the land's function as a place for livestock to graze. Use zacatal to refer to a meadow or area overgrown specifically with reeds or tall grasses.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico, campo can be employed to denote a meadow or a broader countryside area.
How does it change in a sentence?
prado, zacatal, pastizal, yerbazal and hierbazal are masculine, while vega is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpɾado/
Did you know?
- Unlike most words for meadows in Spanish, vega does not come from Latin but originates from an Old Basque word for 'riverbank'.
Examples in context
- Todo el prado es mío.The entire meadow is mine.This sentence is useful for expressing ownership of the entire meadow.Tatoeba #7849673 by arh, translation #7973659 by shekitten
- Las vacas están comiendo hierba en el prado.The cows are eating grass in the meadow.This sentence is useful for describing cows eating grass in the meadow.Tatoeba #1097112 by Shishir, translation #7983746 by shekitten
- El prado está lleno de ranas.The meadow is full of frogs.This sentence is useful for noting that the meadow is full of frogs.Tatoeba #5991252 by mervert1, translation #5760191 by Joseph
- El ganado pacía en la extensa pradera.The cattle grazed in the vast meadow.
- Los niños jugaban en el hermoso prado de la finca.The children played in the beautiful meadow of the estate.
- Descansamos bajo la sombra de un árbol en el pradillo cerca del río.We rested under the shade of a tree in the little meadow near the river.
- Los niños atraparon mariposas en la praderita cercana al pueblo.The children caught butterflies in the little meadow near the town.
- Los caballos galopan por el vasto campo.The horses gallop through the vast meadow/countryside.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are walking through the countryside.
- DanielMira aquel prado verde.Look at that green meadow.
- MaríaEs un prado muy hermoso, Daniel.It is a very beautiful meadow, Daniel.
- Daniel¿Quieres caminar por el prado?Do you want to walk through the meadow?
- MaríaSí, me encanta este lugar.Yes, I love this place.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meadow” translations and entries prado, vega, zacatal, pastizal, 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 pastizal, prado, vega, zacatal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
