Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| puesta de sol | /ˌpwesta de ˈsol/ | feminine |
| puesta del sol | /pwesta del sol/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| puesta solar | /pwesta solaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| ocaso | /oˈkaso/ | masculine |
The most common way to refer to the sunset in everyday conversation is puesta de sol or atardecer. While puesta de sol literally refers to the setting of the sun, atardecer is also a common way to say sunset in Spanish.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase puesta de sol is a literal construction meaning 'setting of the sun'.
Which one should you use?
Puesta de sol is used in everyday conversations. The form puesta del sol is more specific, as it uses the contraction 'del' (de + el) to refer to 'the' sun. In contrast, ocaso is a literary or poetic term used to describe the moment the sun disappears entirely below the horizon.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form puesta del sol uses the contraction 'del' (de + el) to specify 'the' sun, whereas puesta de sol is more general.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌpwesta de ˈsol/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using puesta solar to mean sunset. This is an incorrect translation that sounds like 'solar setting' in a technical sense.
Did you know?
- The word solar in Spanish actually derives from 'suelo', meaning 'ground' or 'floor', rather than from 'sol' meaning 'sun'.
- While sol means 'sun', the Spanish word for the currency in Peru is also sol, which is actually a shortened version of the Latin word 'solidus'.
- The term ocaso is often used in Spanish literature to symbolize the decline or end of an era, not just the end of a day.
Examples in context
- Qué bonita puesta de sol.What a beautiful sunset.This sentence expresses admiration for a beautiful sunset using puesta de sol.Tatoeba #454520 by Shishir, translation #416541 by Scott
- ¡Qué hermosa puesta de sol!What a beautiful sunset!Tatoeba #1312200 by Shishir, translation #36133 by CK
- Estaremos en casa al ocaso.We'll be home by sunset.This sentence describes being at home by the time of the sunset using ocaso.Tatoeba #7996597 by arh, translation #7995623 by CK
- El atardecer en este lugar es hermosoThe sunset in this place is beautiful
- El ocaso pintaba el cielo con colores doradosThe sunset painted the sky with golden colors
- Vamos a la playa a disfrutar de la hermosa puesta de solLet's go to the beach to enjoy the beautiful sunset
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are sitting on the beach watching the sky change colors.
- LucíaMira esa puesta de sol.Look at that sunset.
- AlejandroEs impresionante, Lucía.It is impressive, Lucía.
- LucíaMe encanta la puesta de sol aquí.I love the sunset here.
- AlejandroA mí también, es muy relajante.Me too, it is very relaxing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sunset” translations and entries puesta de sol, puesta del sol, ocaso, 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 de, del, puesta, sol, solar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
