Centro comercial
/θentɾo komeɾθjal/from spelling rules
The English phrase "shopping mall" is translated into Spanish as Centro comercial.
Centro comercial is used to refer to a large building that houses many different stores and restaurants.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of centro, meaning "center" and comercial, meaning "commercial".
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing the plural "shopping malls", both the noun and the adjective must be pluralized to form centros comerciales.
How do you pronounce it?
/θentɾo komeɾθjal/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often try to translate "shopping" literally as "de compras", but centro comercial is the standard term used in the Spanish-speaking world.
Did you know?
- The word centro actually comes from the Ancient Greek word for a 'sharp point' or 'sting', which is quite different from its modern meaning of 'middle' or 'center'.
- In many parts of Latin America, you might hear people simply call a shopping mall a plaza, even though a plaza often refers to an open square or a smaller shopping area.
- In Spanish, the word centro can refer to the physical building of a mall or the general 'downtown' district of a city.
Examples in context
- El nuevo centro comercial que abrió la semana pasada cierra todos los días a medianoche.The new shopping mall that opened last week closes at midnight every night.This sentence shows how to use Centro comercial when discussing the closing times of a new mall.Tatoeba #5695298 by arh, translation #5163823 by DostKaplan
- Salimos felices del centro comercial.We left the shopping mall happy.This sentence demonstrates the use of Centro comercial when describing leaving a mall.Tatoeba #13368746 by mexicanhere, translation #12874231 by Ussis
- Voy a ir al centro comercial después del trabajo.I'm going to go to the shopping mall after work.
- ¿Vamos al centro comercial este fin de semana?Shall we go to the shopping mall this weekend?
- Perdón, ¿dónde está el centro comercial más cercano?Excuse me, where is the nearest shopping mall?
- ¿Cómo llego al gran centro comercial?How do I get to the large shopping mall?
- Nos vemos en el centro comercial a las tres.See you at the shopping mall at three.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are planning a weekend outing.
- Javier¿Quieres ir al centro comercial mañana?Do you want to go to the shopping mall tomorrow?
- LucíaSí, me gustaría mucho ir contigo, Javier.Yes, I would really like to go with you, Javier.
- JavierPerfecto, buscaremos algunas tiendas nuevas.Perfect, we will look for some new stores.
- Lucía¡Qué buena idea!What a great idea!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries centro, comercial, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
