vacaciones
/bakaˈθjones/
vacaciones is the Spanish word for vacation or holidays.
The term refers to a period of time when a person is free from work or school for the purpose of rest or travel. When expressing that someone is currently on vacation, you should use the phrase estar de vacaciones.
How does it change in a sentence?
vacaciones is a feminine plural noun. In Spanish, it is almost always used with a definite article in its plural form, such as las vacaciones to mean the holidays or the vacation.
How do you pronounce it?
/bakaˈθjones/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the singular form vacación to refer to a single holiday period. In Spanish, the plural vacaciones is the standard way to refer to a vacation period.
Did you know?
- While vacaciones means 'vacation', the word vacar originally meant 'to empty'. This relates to the idea of emptying one's schedule or leaving a place vacant.
- In Spain, the tradition of puente or 'bridge' describes a short vacaciones period created when a public holiday falls near a weekend, leading people to 'bridge' the gap with extra days off.
- In Spain, the August vacaciones are so culturally significant that many small towns and businesses effectively shut down for the entire month.
Examples in context
- ¡Felices vacaciones!Happy holidays!
- Necesito unas vacaciones largas.I need a long vacation.
- Mis vacaciones empiezan mañana.My vacation starts tomorrow.
- ¿A dónde vas de vacaciones?Where are you going on vacation?
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are talking about their upcoming summer plans.
- Elena¿Tienes planes para tus vacaciones?Do you have plans for your vacation?
- AlejandroSí, voy a viajar a la playa.Yes, I am going to travel to the beach.
- Elena¡Qué bueno! Yo también quiero vacaciones.That's great! I want a vacation too.
- AlejandroDeberías descansar mucho, Elena.You should rest a lot, Elena.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry vacaciones, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
