portería
/poɾteˈɾia/
The English phrase "soccer goal" is portería in Spanish.
portería refers to the physical, rectangular structure made of two posts and a crossbar that players aim to kick the ball into during a match.
What does it mean word for word?
The word portería is derived from portero, which refers to a goalkeeper or a doorman, implying the area that one guards.
Which one should you use?
Use portería for the physical goal itself, but use gol to refer to the act of scoring or the point gained in a game.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of portería is porterías.
How do you pronounce it?
/poɾteˈɾia/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse portería (the physical structure) with gol (the act of scoring or the point itself).
Did you know?
- In many Latin American countries, you will hear fans shout arco instead of portería to refer to the goal. While portería is technically correct, arco refers specifically to the 'arch' shape formed by the posts and crossbar.
- While portería is used across the Spanish-speaking world, the goalkeeper is called portero in Spain but often arquero in Latin America.
- The term portería shares a root with the word for 'gate' or 'entrance' in a building, reflecting the goal's role as a guarded portal.
Examples in context
- El tanto de fútbol del equipo local dio la victoria.The soccer goal from the local team secured the victory.
- ¡Golazo! ¡Ese jugador tiene un gran talento!What a fantastic goal! That player has great talent!
- La portería es muy grande.The goal is very large.
- El portero está frente a la portería.The goalkeeper is in front of the goal.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are practicing soccer in a park.
- Lucía¿Dónde está la portería?Where is the goal?
- MateoEstá allí, junto a los árboles.It is over there, next to the trees.
- Lucía¡Mira, la portería es de metal!Look, the goal is made of metal!
- MateoSí, vamos a jugar allí.Yes, let's go play there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry portería, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
