Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cola | /ˈkola/ | feminine |
| fila | /ˈfila/ | feminine |
| línea | /ˈlinea/ /ˈlinja/ |
feminine |
| hila | /ˈila/ | feminine |
For example, you can say La fila es larga to mean 'The queue is long' or El tiempo de espera es corto to mean 'The waiting time is short'. To express the action of standing in a queue or waiting in line, the most natural verbal phrases are hacer cola or hacer fila. If you wish to describe the act of arranging things into a queue, use poner en fila.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Cola is the standard term for a queue in Spain and many parts of Latin America. However, in some regions like Mexico, fila might be more frequent when specifically referring to people waiting.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say you are 'in the queue', use the preposition en with the noun, such as en la cola or en la fila. All these nouns are feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkola/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be aware that in other contexts, cola can also mean 'tail' (of an animal) or 'glue'. However, when you are talking about waiting, it specifically means a queue.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, if someone is 'cutting the queue', they are described as colarse, a verb that also means to sneak into a place or event without an invitation.
- The term cola has a surprising connection to the English word 'queue' through their shared Latin ancestor, 'cauda', which means 'tail'.
- Although fila is commonly used for a queue, it is also the standard term for a 'row' in a theater or a 'rank' of soldiers in military formation.
Examples in context
- No había una larga fila en el estadio.There wasn't a long queue at the stadium.This sentence illustrates a queue at a stadium using fila.Tatoeba #1291816 by marcelostockle, translation #324096 by sundown
- Estoy en esta fila hace más de dos horas.I've been in this queue for more than two hours.This sentence describes the duration of being in a queue using fila.Tatoeba #1950213 by hayastan, translation #12925939 by araneo
- Frente a la tienda había una larga fila de espera.A long queue had formed in front of the shop.This sentence describes a waiting line in front of a shop using fila.Tatoeba #2484816 by marcelostockle, translation #2484871 by raggione
- Por favor, póngase en la fila para comprar los boletos.Please get in the queue to buy the tickets.
- Espera a tu turno en la cola del supermercado.Wait for your turn in the supermarket queue.
- Esperanos en la fila para entrar a la discoteca.Wait for us in the queue to enter the nightclub.
- Había una línea enorme para comprar boletos del concierto.There was a huge line to buy concert tickets.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are at the supermarket.
- DanielMira qué cola tan larga hay para pagar.Look what a long queue there is to pay.
- LucíaEs verdad, Daniel. Vamos a otra caja.It's true, Daniel. Let's go to another checkout.
- DanielEsa otra cola parece más corta.That other queue looks shorter.
- LucíaTienes razón, Lucía se pone allí.You're right, Lucía will stand there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “queue” translations and entries cola, fila, línea, hila, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cola, fila, línea, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
