Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| estacionamiento | /estaθjonaˈmjento/ /estasjonaˈmjento/ |
masculine |
| aparcamiento | /apaɾkaˈmjento/ | masculine |
| parking (parkin) | masculine | |
| parqueadero | /paɾkeaˈdeɾo/ | masculine |
| parqueo | /paɾˈkeo/ | masculine |
| playa de estacionamiento | /plaʝa de estaθjonamjento/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /plaʝa de estasjonamjento/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| aparcadero | /apaɾkadeɾo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| recinto de aparcamiento | /reθinto de apaɾkamjento/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /resinto de apaɾkamjento/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| edificio de parque | /edifiθjo de paɾke/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /edifisjo de paɾke/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
All terms listed refer to an open, generally paved area where automobiles may be left when not in use. While estacionamiento refers to the area or the act of parking, the related verb estacionar is used to mean "to park".
Which one should you use?
Estacionamiento refers to the area or the act of parking, whereas estacionar is the verb "to park".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In many Spanish-speaking countries, the English loanword parking (pronounced parkin) is frequently used in informal speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The terms used for a parking lot vary significantly by location. In Spain, the standard term is aparcamiento. In most of Latin America, the standard term is estacionamiento. In Colombia and parts of Central America, parqueadero is commonly used. Additionally, parqueo is a regional variant. Other terms include aparcadero, recinto de aparcamiento, edificio de parque and the feminine form playa de estacionamiento.
How does it change in a sentence?
Estacionamiento is a masculine noun, so it is preceded by the masculine article el (e.g., el estacionamiento).
How do you pronounce it?
/estaθjonaˈmjento/
Did you know?
- In Argentina and Uruguay, you might hear the phrase playa de estacionamiento. The word playa usually means 'beach', but here it refers to a large, flat expanse of land used for parking.
- While many learners use the English loanword parking, it is actually considered a 'pseudo-anglicism'. This is because it is borrowed from the French word parking rather than directly from English.
- While estacionamiento means 'parking lot', the root word estación is a homonym that can mean 'season' or 'train station' depending on the context.
Examples in context
- El estacionamiento está vacío.The parking lot is empty.This sentence is useful for describing the occupancy of the estacionamiento.Tatoeba #1710887 by marcelostockle, translation #1699321 by Spamster
- El estacionamiento está casi vacío.The parking lot is almost empty.Tatoeba #1901453 by marcelostockle, translation #1898206 by CK
- Vi algunos coches en el aparcamiento.I saw some cars in the parking lot.This sentence is useful for describing seeing cars in the aparcamiento.Tatoeba #11737233 by Seael, translation #2406086 by CK
- Disculpe, ¿dónde se encuentra el estacionamiento?Excuse me, where can I find the parking lot?
- Perdón, ¿dónde está el aparcamiento?Pardon me, where is the parking lot?
- Hey, ¿dónde queda el parqueo?Hey, where is the parking lot?
- Oye, ¿dónde está el estacionamiento?Hey, where's the parking lot?
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are looking for their car after a movie.
- MateoNo recuerdo dónde dejamos el coche.I don't remember where we left the car.
- LucíaEstá en el estacionamiento del cine.It is in the cinema parking lot.
- Mateo¿En qué parte del estacionamiento?In what part of the parking lot?
- LucíaCreo que estaba cerca de la salida.I think it was near the exit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “parking lot” translations and entries estacionamiento, aparcamiento, parqueadero, parqueo, aparcadero, 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 aparcamiento, estacionamiento, parking, parqueadero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
