Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| vacación veranera | /bakaθjon beɾaneɾa/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /bakasjon beɾaneɾa/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| vacaciones veraniegas | /bakaθjones beɾanjeɡas/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /bakasjones beɾanjeɡas/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine, plural |
The most natural and frequent way to express this in most Spanish-speaking countries is vacaciones de verano.
Which one should you use?
vacación veranera is the singular form, while vacaciones veraniegas is the plural form. The plural form is much more common when referring to a summer break.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, it is common to say vacaciones de enero to refer to the summer vacation period occurring in January.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, it is standard to use the plural form vacaciones to express the concept of a holiday or break, rather than the singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
/bakaθjon beɾaneɾa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the singular vacación to mean a period of time off. However, you should use the plural vacaciones to follow the standard Spanish usage for a holiday or break.
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, people use the phrase puente meaning 'bridge' to describe a short vacation created when a holiday falls near a weekend.
- The word vacaciones shares its roots with the English word 'vacant', as both stem from the Latin 'vacare', meaning 'to be empty'.
- While English speakers use 'vacation' for any trip, Spanish uses vacaciones specifically for the time off. To describe the act of traveling or the trip itself, they use viaje.
Examples in context
- Durante las vacaciones de verano, viajaré a la playa con mi familia.During summer vacation, I will travel to the beach with my family.
- Las vacaciones de verano son muy esperadas por todos los estudiantes.Summer vacation is highly anticipated by all students.
- Mi empresa ofrece un receso de verano de dos semanas para que los empleados descansen.My company offers a two-week summer break for employees to rest.
- El receso de verano en esta escuela dura tres meses.The summer break in this school lasts three months.
- Estoy planeando mi veraneo en la costa para disfrutar del sol y las playas.I'm planning my summer vacation on the coast to enjoy the sun and beaches.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their travel plans.
- AlejandroHola Lucía, ¿tienes planes para tu vacación veranera?Hi Lucía, do you have plans for your summer vacation?
- LucíaSí, voy a ir a la playa.Yes, I am going to the beach.
- Alejandro¡Qué bien! Yo iré a las montañas.That's great! I will go to the mountains.
- LucíaEso suena muy relajante, Alejandro.That sounds very relaxing, Alejandro.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “summer vacation” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vacación, CC BY-SA 4.0.
