obra de teatro
/obɾa de teatɾo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "stage play" is translated into Spanish as obra de teatro.
A obra de teatro refers to a play written to be performed on a stage.
Meaning: play written to be a performed on the stage (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of obra (work/creation) and de teatro (of theater).
Which one should you use?
While obra can mean any work of art or literature, obra de teatro specifically specifies a theatrical play.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some contexts, particularly in Spain, the term Comedia is used as a synonym for stage play.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, you add an s to the noun obra rather than to the word teatro.
How do you pronounce it?
/obɾa de teatɾo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, obra can refer to a stage play, a painting, or even a construction site.
- Historically, Spanish writers used the word comedia for any play, including tragedies, because it referred to the genre of the stage rather than the mood.
- The word obra is a doublet of the English word 'opera', meaning they both share the same Latin root opus.
Examples in context
- Estoy emocionado/a por ir a ver una obra de teatro esta noche.I'm excited to go see a stage play tonight.
- La representación teatral de Romeo y Julieta fue cautivadora.The stage play of Romeo and Juliet was captivating.
- ¡Vamos a ver una obra de teatro esta noche!Let's go watch a stage play tonight!
- La función de teatro que vi ayer fue increíble.The theater show I saw yesterday was incredible.
- Fuimos a ver una obra de teatro muy divertida.We went to see a very funny stage play.
- Esta es una obra de teatro muy famosa.This is a very famous stage play.
- Escribí una obra de teatro el año pasado.I wrote a stage play last year.
- Me gusta mucho esa obra de teatro.I really like that stage play.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about their weekend plans.
- Sofía¿Quieres ir a ver una obra de teatro?Do you want to go see a stage play?
- MateoSí, me encanta la actuación en vivo.Yes, I love live acting.
- SofíaPerfecto, compraré las entradas para la obra de teatro.Perfect, I will buy the tickets for the play.
- MateoGracias, Sofía, eres muy amable.Thanks, Sofia, you are very kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, obra, teatro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
