vacaciones
/bakaˈθjones/
The Spanish word for vacation is vacaciones.
vacaciones refers to a period of leisure time. To express that someone is currently 'on vacation', you should use the phrase estar de vacaciones.
Meaning: period of leisure time (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the word for vacation is always used in its plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/bakaˈθjones/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the singular form vacación, but you should always use the plural vacaciones to refer to a vacation period.
Did you know?
- While vacaciones is the standard term, people in some regions use puente, meaning 'bridge', to describe a short vacation created when a holiday falls near a weekend.
- In Spain, the month of August is so synonymous with vacaciones that many small-town businesses completely shut down for several weeks, leaving streets empty of shops and services.
- The word vacaciones shares a root with the English word 'vacate', originating from the Latin 'vacare', which means 'to be empty' or 'free'.
Examples in context
- Me tomé unas vacaciones.I took a vacation.This sentence shows how to use vacaciones to say you took a vacation.Tatoeba #9001623 by arh, translation #6603800 by Hybrid
- Es tiempo de vacaciones.It’s vacation time.This sentence uses vacaciones to describe vacation time.Tatoeba #13365170 by Lernema, translation #13364991 by Igider
- Todos están de vacaciones.Everyone's on vacation.This sentence uses vacaciones to say people are currently on vacation.Tatoeba #7137474 by arh, translation #7137421 by CK
- Me voy de vacacionesI'm going on vacation.
- Necesito pedir permiso para tomarme unas vacacionesI need to ask for permission to take a vacation.
- ¡Finalmente voy a tomar unas vacaciones bien merecidas!I am finally going on a well-deserved vacation!
- Necesito solicitar permiso para disfrutar de mis vacaciones.I need to request permission to enjoy my vacation.
- 204 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their plans for the summer.
- LucíaLucía: ¿A dónde vas en tus vacaciones?Where are you going on your vacation?
- JavierJavier: Voy a ir a la playa.I am going to go to the beach.
- LucíaLucía: ¡Qué bien! Yo necesito unas vacaciones.That's great! I need a vacation.
- JavierJavier: Entonces, busca un vuelo pronto.Then, look for a flight soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry vacaciones, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
