aparcar
/apaɾˈkaɾ/
The English phrase "to park" is translated into Spanish as aparcar.
aparcar means to bring a vehicle to a stop and leave it in a designated place. The noun el aparcamiento is derived from this verb and is used to describe a parking area or the act of parking itself.
Which one should you use?
aparcar is the standard term used in Spain, whereas estacionar is the standard in most of the Americas.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, the verb estacionar is much more common than aparcar.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular preterite (past tense) of aparcar is aparqué, which means "I parked".
How do you pronounce it?
/apaɾˈkaɾ/
Did you know?
- In colloquial Spanish, the idea of aparcar can be used metaphorically to mean 'shelving' or 'putting a project on hold' for a while.
- The verb aparcar is built from the noun parque, which comes from the Old French 'parc' and the Early Medieval Latin 'parricus'.
- The word estacionar is derived from estación, which can mean either a transport 'station' or a 'season'.
Examples in context
- Aparcar el coche ahí es ilegal.It is illegal to park a car there.This sentence is useful for showing the illegality of a specific parking action with aparcar.Tatoeba #10367826 by Seael, translation #71785 by CK
- Cuesta mucho aparcar en Sevilla.It cost a lot to park in Seville.This sentence shows how to describe the difficulty of parking in the city of Seville using aparcar.Tatoeba #10738458 by saverius, translation #10738459 by saverius
- Aparcar ahí está prohibido. Te van a multar.You are not allowed to park there. They are going to give you a fine.This sentence warns about the consequences and prohibitions related to using aparcar in a specific spot.Tatoeba #5306509 by wallebot, translation #5336198 by Amittai
- Por favor, puede aparcar su vehículo en el estacionamiento.Please, can you park your vehicle in the parking lot.
- El conductor debe estacionar el automóvil en el área designada.The driver must park the car in the designated area.
- Puedes estacionar el coche en el aparcamiento subterráneo.You can park the car in the underground parking lot.
- Vamos a aparcar el coche en la zona cercana.Let's park the car in the nearby area.
- Ella siempre estaciona su moto frente a la cafetería.She always parks her motorbike in front of the café.
- Puedes parquear el carro en la calle.You can park the car on the street.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are driving looking for a place to eat.
- María¿Dónde podemos aparcar?Where can we park?
- DanielCreo que puedes aparcar en esta calle.I think you can park on this street.
- MaríaEs un sitio muy pequeño para aparcar.It is a very small place to park.
- DanielNo te preocupes, María, lo lograrás.Don't worry, María, you will do it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry aparcar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aparcar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
