ensayo
/enˈsaʝo/masculine
The English word 'rehearsal' is ensayo in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists emprimado and ensaye.
Meaning: practicing of performance to test or improve it (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ensayo | /enˈsaʝo/ | masculine |
| emprimado | /empɾiˈmado/ | masculine |
| ensaye | /enˈsaʝe/ | masculine |
ensayo refers to the practice of a performance to test or improve it. It is worth noting that ensayo can also mean a written 'essay'. To specifically say 'dress rehearsal', use the idiomatic phrase ensayo general, which refers to the final full-scale rehearsal before a performance.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun ensayo becomes ensayos in its plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/enˈsaʝo/
Did you know?
- The word ensayo comes from the Late Latin exagium, which refers to the act of weighing or testing something.
- In Spanish literature, the ensayo is not just a school assignment but a specific high-art genre of intellectual prose used to explore a subject without reaching a definitive conclusion.
- If a scientist or engineer is conducting a trial or a prototype test, they will likely use the word ensayo to describe the experiment.
Examples in context
- Hoy es el ensayo general.Today is the dress rehearsal.This sentence is useful for identifying a dress rehearsal using ensayo.Tatoeba #7151600 by arh, translation #10475041 by LimeGreenTeknii
- Después de una pausa de diez minutos, continuamos nuestro ensayo.After a ten-minute break, we resumed our rehearsal.This sentence is useful for describing the continuation of a rehearsal using ensayo.Tatoeba #1604734 by marcelostockle, translation #73375 by CK
- El ensayo es hoy.The rehearsal is today.This sentence is useful for stating the timing of a rehearsal using ensayo.Tatoeba #11470890 by carlosalberto, translation #11470884 by carlosalberto
- Es hora de comenzar la prácticaIt's time to start the rehearsal
- Hubo muchos errores durante la prácticaThere were many mistakes during the rehearsal
- El ensayo general será mañana a las 7 p.m.The dress rehearsal will be tomorrow at 7 p.m.
- Tenemos ensayo de baile esta tardeWe have dance rehearsal this afternoon
- Vamos a hacer el ensayo del concierto en mi casaWe'll do the rehearsal for the concert at my place
- Estoy yendo a la práctica de la obra de teatroI'm going to the theater play rehearsal
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are talking about their theater schedule.
- Mateo¿A qué hora es el ensayo, Sofía?What time is the rehearsal, Sofía?
- SofíaEl ensayo comienza a las siete de la tarde.The rehearsal starts at seven in the evening.
- MateoPerfecto, yo llegaré temprano para practicar.Perfect, I will arrive early to practice.
- SofíaMuy bien, nos vemos allí entonces.Very well, see you there then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rehearsal” translations and entries ensayo, emprimado, ensaye, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries emprimado, ensayo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
