Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| belén | /beˈlen/ | Spain, masculine |
| nacimiento | /naθiˈmjento/ /nasiˈmjento/ |
Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, masculine |
| pasito | /paˈsito/ | Costa Rica, masculine |
| pesebre | /peˈsebɾe/ | Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, masculine |
To describe the act of setting up or assembling the display, you can use the verb montar with these terms, such as montar el belén.
What does it mean word for word?
The word nacimiento literally means "birth", which is why it is used to refer to the nativity scene. The word pesebre literally means "manger", referring to the feeding trough where Jesus was laid.
Which one should you use?
While all these words refer to a nativity scene, the choice of word depends heavily on where you are. In Spain, belén is the standard term. In many South American countries, such as Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela, pesebre is commonly used. In Mexico and much of Central America, nacimiento is the most common way to express this.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term belén is used in Spain. The term nacimiento is common in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala and much of Central America. The term pasito is used in Costa Rica. The term pesebre is used in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.
How does it change in a sentence?
All these forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/beˈlen/
Did you know?
- In traditional Spanish customs, the figure of the baby Jesus is often not placed in the belén until midnight on Christmas Eve.
- Some families in Spain and Latin America add humorous, non-biblical figures to their nacimiento, such as a local baker or a football player, to make the scene feel contemporary.
- In Costa Rica, you might hear someone talk about a pasito, which is a diminutive of the word for 'step' or 'pace'.
Examples in context
- Tengo que poner el belén.I have to place the nativity scene.This sentence shows how to use the verb 'poner' with belén.Tatoeba #7546440 by arh, translation #10794169 by Luornu
- Me encanta montar el belén.I love assembling the nativity scene.This sentence demonstrates the phrase 'montar el belén' to mean assembling the display.Tatoeba #7546441 by arh, translation #10794170 by Luornu
- El belén de Mary tiene un montón de figuritas.Mary's nativity scene has a ton of figurines.This sentence uses belén to refer to a display containing many figurines.Tatoeba #5705130 by arh, translation #10240208 by LimeGreenTeknii
- La iglesia ha montado un hermoso Belén en el atrio.The church has set up a beautiful nativity scene in the atrium.
- En el museo se exhibe un antiguo nacimiento del siglo XVIII.The museum showcases an ancient nativity scene from the 18th century.
- Me encanta armar el pesebre en casa durante la Navidad.I love setting up the nativity scene at home during Christmas.
- Vamos a decorar el portal de Belén con figuras nuevas este año.We are going to decorate the nativity scene with new figurines this year.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are visiting a relative's house in December.
- Mateo¡Qué bonito es vuestro belén!Your nativity scene is so beautiful!
- LucíaGracias, Mateo. Lo montamos ayer.Thank you, Mateo. We set it up yesterday.
- Mateo¿Dónde comprasteis las figuras del belén?Where did you buy the figures for the nativity scene?
- LucíaLas compramos en el mercado del pueblo.We bought them at the village market.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nativity scene” translations and entries belén, nacimiento, pasito, pesebre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
