amarrado
/amaˈrado/
The English phrase 'moored' is translated into Spanish as amarrado.
Which one should you use?
While amarrado is commonly used for mooring vessels, the word atado is a more general term for tying things with string or rope and is less specific to maritime contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective amarrado must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. It changes to amarrada for feminine nouns, amarrados for masculine plural nouns and amarradas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/amaˈrado/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American regions, amarrar is used in folk magic to describe a 'love spell' intended to force a partner to stay with someone.
- In certain dialects, particularly in parts of the Caribbean, amarrar can be used in a culinary sense to mean 'to reduce' or 'to thicken' a sauce through simmering.
- In some Latin American slang, calling someone amarrado can mean they are 'stingy' or 'tight-fisted' with their money.
Examples in context
- Ella se sentó escuchando el chapoteo rítmico del agua contra los botes de remos amarrados.She sat listening to the water lapping rhythmically against the moored rowing boats.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe rowing boats that are amarrado.Tatoeba #10082706 by manufrutos, translation #10081647 by sundown
- El barco está anclado en el puerto.The boat is moored in the harbor.
- El crucero está atracado en la terminal marítima.The cruise ship is moored at the maritime terminal.
- El yate está anclado frente a la isla.The yacht is moored in front of the island.
- El barco de carga está atracado en el puerto principal.The cargo ship is moored at the main port.
- Mi bote está amarrado en el muelle.My boat is moored at the dock.
- Mi velero está amarrado en el muelle pequeño.My sailboat is moored at the small dock.
- El bote está bien amarrado al muelle.The boat is well moored to the pier.
- Mira ese barco amarrado allá lejos.Look at that boat moored far away over there.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are arriving at a marina.
- Lucía¿Dónde dejamos el bote?Where do we leave the boat?
- DanielPuedes dejarlo amarrado en el muelle tres.You can leave it moored at pier three.
- LucíaPerfecto, lo haré ahora mismo.Perfect, I'll do it right now.
- DanielAsegúretelo bien, Lucía.Make sure it's tied tight, Lucía.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry amarrado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
