santuario
/sanˈtwaɾjo/masculine
The English word "shrine" can be translated into Spanish as santuario. Wiktionary also lists ermita.
Meaning: a holy place dedicated to a specific figure of respect (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| santuario | /sanˈtwaɾjo/ | masculine |
| ermita | /eɾˈmita/ | feminine |
A santuario is a holy place dedicated to a specific figure of respect. This term can describe both a religious holy place and a place of refuge or sanctuary in a non-religious sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of santuario is santuarios. The plural of ermita is ermitas.
How do you pronounce it?
/sanˈtwaɾjo/
Did you know?
- The word ermita shares its DNA with the English word 'hermit' through a long lineage of words meaning 'solitary'.
- In Spain, an ermita is often a small chapel located outside of a town. These are frequently the destination of annual 'romerías', which are festive pilgrimages involving food and music.
- In some rural Spanish traditions, an ermita may not have a resident priest. Instead, the community takes turns maintaining the building and locking the doors.
Examples in context
- Solía haber un pequeño santuario por aquí.There used to be a small shrine around here.This sentence shows how to use santuario when talking about a small shrine that used to exist in a certain area.Tatoeba #1854987 by teskmon, translation #28365 by CK
- El Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe es uno de los más visitados en MéxicoThe Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most visited in Mexico
- El Santuario de San Judas Tadeo es muy concurrido los viernesThe Shrine of St. Jude is very crowded on Fridays
- Chichén Itzá es un santuario maya que atrae a miles de turistas cada añoChichén Itzá is a Maya shrine that attracts thousands of tourists every year
- Hay una ermita en la plaza del puebloThere is a shrine in the town square
- Después de una larga caminata, llegamos al santuario de la montaña para descansar y disfrutar de la vista panorámica.After a long hike, we reached the mountain shrine to rest and enjoy the panoramic view.
- En mi viaje a México, visité el famoso Santuario de la Virgen de Guadalupe en la Ciudad de México.During my trip to Mexico, I visited the famous Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
- El santuario está en la cima de la montaña.The shrine is at the top of the mountain.
- Visitamos un santuario muy antiguo en el pueblo.We visited a very old shrine in the village.
Example conversation
Sofia and Mateo are hiking in the countryside.
- Sofía¿Ves aquel santuario entre los árboles?Do you see that shrine among the trees?
- MateoSí, es un santuario muy hermoso, Sofía.Yes, it is a very beautiful shrine, Sofia.
- SofíaDeberíamos entrar para rezar un poco.We should go inside to pray a little.
- MateoMe parece una excelente idea.That sounds like an excellent idea to me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shrine” translations and entries santuario, ermita, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ermita, santuario, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
