teatro
/teˈatɾo/masculine
The Spanish word for theater is teatro.
Teatro refers to a theater as a place or a building. It is the most common and widely understood term for theater in Spanish. You can also use the related adjective teatral to mean theatrical.
Meaning: place or building (noun)
Which one should you use?
While teatro is the standard term, teatrillo is a diminutive form that implies a smaller or less professional theater. In Mexico, foro is used alongside teatro when referring to a theater, often for alternative or independent spaces.
How does it change in a sentence?
Teatro is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/teˈatɾo/
Did you know?
- The phrase hacer teatro can mean both 'to put on a play' and 'to fake a reaction' to deceive someone, similar to the English expression 'putting on an act'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if someone is described as muy de teatro, it implies they are overly dramatic or prone to exaggerating their emotions in daily life.
- If you call a performance 'muy teatral', you might actually be insulting the actor by implying their acting is exaggerated or unrealistic.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué teatro es ese?Which theater is that?This sentence is useful for asking which theater is being referred to.Tatoeba #1503499 by marcelostockle, translation #42668 by CK
- Estaba en el teatro.I was at the theater.This sentence is useful for stating a location at the theater.Tatoeba #1359517 by hayastan, translation #256730 by CK
- El teatro está vacío.The theater is empty.This sentence is useful for describing the state of a theater.Tatoeba #1336199 by marcelostockle, translation #680815 by Source_VOA
- Me encanta el teatroI love the theater
- La casa de espectáculos estaba repletaThe theater venue was packed
- Vamos al teatro este fin de semanaLet's go to the theater this weekend
- Fui a ver una obra en un teatrillo del centroI went to see a play at a small theater downtown
- Los actores salieron a las tablasThe actors took the stage
- Vamos a la sala a ver la obraLet's go to the theater venue to see the play
- El nuevo foro es perfecto para propuestas vanguardistasThe new theater space is perfect for avant-garde proposals
- 79 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are walking in the city center.
- Sofía¿Conoces este teatro?Do you know this theater?
- AlejandroNo, es un teatro nuevo.No, it is a new theater.
- SofíaEs un teatro muy bonito, Alejandro.It is a very beautiful theater, Alejandro.
- AlejandroTienes razón, Sofía.You are right, Sofía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “theater” translations and entries teatro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
