Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cantante | /kanˈtante/ | masculine |
| cantor | /kanˈtoɾ/ | masculine |
A singer is a person who sings.
What does it mean word for word?
The word cantante is formed from the verb cantar (to sing) and the suffix -ante, which is an agentive suffix equivalent to the English suffix -er.
Which one should you use?
Cantante is the standard, modern term for a singer. In contrast, cantor often implies a more traditional, folk or religious context, such as a person who sings hymns or plays folk music.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Spanish-speaking countries, such as Cuba or Puerto Rico, the term Trovador/a is commonly used to refer specifically to a folk or troubadour singer.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both cantante and cantor are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/kanˈtante/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly try to use cantador to mean a singer. However, cantante is the standard term for a professional or general singer.
Did you know?
- The root of cantor comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *keh₂n-, which was used to describe the act of singing across many ancient languages.
- The word cantante shares its agentive suffix -ante with other professional titles like estudiante for 'student' and presidente for 'president'.
- The word cantante is common to both men and women, but cantor is almost exclusively used for men.
Examples in context
- Ella no es cantante.She's no singer.This sentence is useful for practicing the negative form of the word cantante.Tatoeba #2351157 by Shishir, translation #309960 by CS
- Soy un gran cantante.I'm a great singer.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of cantante in the first person.Tatoeba #2094536 by Shishir, translation #2094582 by MethodGT
- Su madre era cantante.His mother was a singer.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of cantante when referring to a female subject.Tatoeba #1526512 by hayastan, translation #1526454 by pauldhunt
- María es una talentosa cantante de ópera.María is a talented singer of opera.
- El vocalista de esta banda tiene una voz increíble.The lead singer of this band has an incredible voice.
- El intérprete ofrecerá un concierto en el teatro esta noche.The singer will perform a concert at the theater tonight.
- Silvia es una talentosa cantautora que escribe y canta sus propias canciones.Silvia is a talented singer-songwriter who writes and performs her own songs.
- Roberto es un reconocido cantante lírico en la Ópera Nacional de Argentina.Roberto is a renowned opera singer at the National Opera of Argentina.
- Rosalía es una destacada trovadora de música tradicional puertorriqueña.Rosalía is an outstanding folk singer of traditional Puerto Rican music.
- 113 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are discussing music at a cafe.
- Elena¿Quién es ese cantante?Who is that singer?
- DanielEs un cantante de jazz muy bueno.He is a very good jazz singer.
- ElenaDaniel, ¿te gusta su música?Daniel, do you like his music?
- DanielSí, es mi cantante favorito.Yes, he is my favorite singer.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “singer” translations and entries cantante, cantor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cantante, cantor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
