barrio
/ˈbarjo/masculine
In Spanish, the word for neighborhood is barrio. Wiktionary also lists vecindad and vecindario.
Meaning: area near one's home (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| barrio | /ˈbarjo/ | masculine |
| vecindad | /beθinˈdad/ /besinˈdad/ |
feminine |
| vecindario | /beθinˈdaɾjo/ /besinˈdaɾjo/ |
masculine |
| cercanía | /θeɾkaˈnia/ /seɾkaˈnia/ |
feminine |
The term refers to an area near one's home.
What does it mean word for word?
The word vecindad is derived from vecino (neighbor) and often refers to a specific cluster of dwellings or a tenement-style housing area.
Which one should you use?
barrio is the most common and versatile word for a neighborhood or a specific district in a city. vecindario refers more specifically to the immediate residential area or the collection of neighbors around one's home. cercanía refers to the state of being near (proximity) rather than a physical neighborhood area.
How does it change in a sentence?
barrio is a masculine noun and must be used with masculine articles like el or este. vecindad is a feminine noun and must be used with feminine articles like la or esta.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbarjo/
Did you know?
- While barrio usually means neighborhood today, it comes from an Arabic word meaning 'wild' or 'exterior' and once described only the outskirts of a city.
- In some regions, referring to someone as being de barrio is a slang way to say they are street-smart or come from a humble background.
- The phrase la vecindad became culturally iconic across Latin America due to the sitcom El Chavo del Ocho, where it represented a specific shared courtyard community.
Examples in context
- ¿Vivís en este barrio?Do you live in this neighborhood?This sentence uses barrio to ask if someone lives in a specific neighborhood.Tatoeba #2989202 by hayastan, translation #2484496 by CK
- ¿Cómo es tu vecindario?What's your neighborhood like?This sentence uses vecindario to ask about the characteristics of a person's neighborhood.Tatoeba #6692091 by arh, translation #6691884 by CK
- Me crié en este barrio.I grew up in this neighborhood.This sentence uses barrio to state where someone was raised.Tatoeba #10729011 by SeaLiteral, translation #2330011 by CK
- Me mudé a un nuevo barrio hace dos meses.I moved to a new neighborhood two months ago.
- ¡Bienvenido a mi humilde vecindario!Welcome to my humble neighborhood!
- En esta zona de la ciudad, los vecindarios son muy tranquilos.In this part of the city, the neighborhoods are very peaceful.
- 80 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are talking about where they live.
- DanielMi barrio es muy tranquilo.My neighborhood is very quiet.
- SofíaQué suerte, el mío es ruidoso.How lucky, mine is noisy.
- DanielHay un parque lindo en mi barrio.There is a nice park in my neighborhood.
- SofíaMe gustaría visitar tu barrio, Daniel.I would like to visit your neighborhood, Daniel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “neighborhood” translations and entries barrio, vecindad, vecindario, cercanía, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries barrio, cercanía, vecindad, vecindario, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
