fotomatón
/fotomaˈton/feminine
The English phrase "photo booth" is translated into Spanish as fotomatón.
A fotomatón refers to a coin-operated kiosk used to take photographs.
Meaning: a coin-operated kiosk used to take photographs (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the phrase Cabina de Fotos is used to refer to a photo booth.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word fotomatón is actually masculine, despite the source pack's tag.
How do you pronounce it?
/fotomaˈton/
Did you know?
- The word matón in Spanish usually means 'bully' or 'hitman', but in fotomatón it has no connection to violence.
- The word fotomatón is a trademark that became a common noun, much like how 'kleenex' or 'xerox' is used in English.
- The Spanish fotomatón shares its origin with the French photomaton, showing how a single commercial brand influenced multiple European languages.
Examples in context
- ¿Dónde puedo encontrar una máquina de fotografías automáticas?Where can I find a photo booth?
- ¿Cuánto cuesta usar el fotomatón?How much does it cost to use the photo booth?
- ¡Vamos a sacarnos una foto divertida en el fotomatón!Let's take a fun picture in the photo booth!
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are at a fair.
- AlejandroMira, Sofía, ¡hay un fotomatón allí!Look, Sofía, there is a photo booth there!
- Sofía¡Qué bien! Vamos a hacernos unas fotos.Great! Let's take some photos.
- Alejandro¿Tienes monedas para el fotomatón?Do you have coins for the photo booth?
- SofíaSí, yo pago las fotos, Alejandro.Yes, I will pay for the photos, Alejandro.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “photo booth” translations and entries fotomatón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fotomatón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
