melodía
/meloˈdia/feminine
The English word 'tune' can be translated into Spanish as melodía.
The noun melodía refers to a melody. Related verbs like tunear or afinar are used when you want to say 'to adapt to or direct towards a particular target'.
Meaning: melody (noun)
Which one should you use?
While melodía is the standard word for a melody, the colloquial term temazo is used to refer to a great tune or a 'banger'. Additionally, tonada can be used to mean a tune or a specific melodic style, often carrying a folk or traditional connotation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Mexico, the word Punteado is used to describe a tune created by plucking strings.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of melodía is melodías.
How do you pronounce it?
/meloˈdia/
Did you know?
- The verb tunear is a modern loanword from the English 'to tune', but in Spanish it almost exclusively refers to customizing or pimping a car rather than adjusting a musical instrument.
- While melodía is the standard word for a tune, the slang term temazo comes from tema, meaning 'theme' or 'track', with the suffix -azo added to indicate something impressively large or great.
- In many Spanish speaking cultures, a tonada is not just any tune but specifically refers to a traditional folk song style from the Andean regions of Argentina and Bolivia.
Examples in context
- Se puso a silbar una melodía.He began to whistle a tune.This sentence is useful for describing someone starting to whistle a melodía.Tatoeba #1810804 by marcelostockle, translation #293042 by CK
- Él estaba silbando una melodía.He was whistling a tune.This sentence is useful for describing someone whistling a melodía.Tatoeba #1810808 by marcelostockle, translation #737490 by CM
- Esta es una melodía muy pegadiza.This is a very catchy tune.This sentence is useful for describing a catchy melodía.Tatoeba #7061269 by luischir, translation #7060120 by CK
- Me encanta esa melodía que tocas en el piano.I love that tune you play on the piano.
- La canción que escuchamos tiene una hermosa melodía.The tune we listened to has a beautiful melody.
- ¡Ese ritmo es pegajoso!That tune is catchy!
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are talking about a piece of music in a cafe.
- Javier¿Te gusta la melodía de esta canción?Do you like the melody of this song?
- LucíaSí, es una melodía muy hermosa.Yes, it is a very beautiful melody.
- JavierElla tiene un gran talento para la música.She has great talent for music.
- LucíaEs verdad, su composición es increíble.It is true, her composition is incredible.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tune” translations and entries melodía, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
