bache
/ˈbat͡ʃe/masculine
The English phrase pothole is translated into Spanish as bache. Wiktionary also lists hoyanco and poceta.
Meaning: a hole in a road (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bache | /ˈbat͡ʃe/ | masculine |
| hoyanco | /oʝanko/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| poceta | /poˈθeta/ /poˈseta/ |
feminine |
A pothole is a hole in a road.
Which one should you use?
bache is the most common and standard term for a pothole in most Spanish-speaking countries.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, socavón may be used to refer to a particularly significant pothole or a sinkhole.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun bache is masculine and takes the indefinite article un. The plural form of bache is baches.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbatʃe/
Did you know?
- In certain Caribbean dialects, poceta can refer to a pothole, but in other regions, the same word refers specifically to a small washbasin or a bidet.
- The term bache is sometimes used metaphorically in Spanish to describe a 'rough patch' in a person's life or career, similar to how English uses 'rough patch'.
- While bache is standard, in some Caribbean regions, a pothole might be called a cráter if it is large and deep enough to resemble a lunar crater.
Examples in context
- ¡Cuidado! Ahí hay un bache.Watch out! There's a pothole over there.Tatoeba #958124 by hundo, translation #10270751 by LimeGreenTeknii
- Cayó en un bache y pinchó una rueda.He fell into a pothole and flattened a tire.Tatoeba #10292355 by carlosalberto, translation #10292404 by carlosalberto
- El auto golpeó un bache en la calle.The car hit a pothole on the street.
- Cuidado con ese hueco en la carretera.Be careful with that pothole on the road.
- Ese bache es muy profundo.That pothole is very deep.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are driving in a car.
- DanielMira, hay un bache justo delante.Look, there is a pothole right ahead.
- Lucía¡Es verdad! Gira el volante rápido.It's true! Turn the steering wheel quickly.
- DanielCasi no lo evito, qué susto.I almost didn't avoid it, how scary.
- LucíaMenos mal que no caímos en el bache.Luckily we didn't hit the pothole.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pothole” translations and entries bache, poceta, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
