mar
/ˈmaɾ/feminine, masculine
The English word sea is mar in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists ponto and piélago.
Meaning: body of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mar | /ˈmaɾ/ | feminine, masculine |
| ponto | /ˈponto/ | masculine, poetic |
| piélago | /ˈpjelaɡo/ | masculine |
The term refers to a body of water.
Which one should you use?
The word mar refers specifically to the sea, whereas océano is used for the larger ocean bodies.
How does it change in a sentence?
mar can be treated as either feminine or masculine. In standard Spanish, it is most commonly used with masculine articles as el mar. However, the feminine form la mar is used in specific contexts such as poetry, certain regional dialects or maritime jargon.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word ponto is a more obscure, poetic term for the sea in Spanish, derived from the same Latin root as the English word 'pontoon'.
- The Spanish word mar shares the same Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'mere' meaning a lake or pool.
- In maritime jargon, switching from el mar to la mar can signal a change in attitude from viewing the sea as a geographic place to viewing it as a living force.
Examples in context
- El mar es azul.The sea is blue.This sentence shows how to describe the color of the mar.Tatoeba #3667145 by Seael, translation #2396999 by Hayabusa
- El mar está abajo.The sea is down.This sentence describes the location of the mar.Tatoeba #2062240 by lazarus1907, translation #22261 by Grst4Ntmlgystz485791
- Llegó al mar azul.He reached the blue sea.This sentence describes reaching the blue mar.Tatoeba #5033489 by don_ramon, translation #4128323 by AlanF_US
- 263 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are standing on a balcony overlooking the coast.
- LucíaMira qué grande es el mar.Look how big the sea is.
- AlejandroEs verdad, el mar hoy está muy tranquilo.It's true, the sea is very calm today.
- LucíaMe encanta caminar junto al mar.I love walking by the sea.
- AlejandroA mí también me gusta mucho.I like it a lot too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sea” translations and entries mar, ponto, piélago, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mar, piélago, ponto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
