Sign in
arena and Spanish arena
In English
arena
a stadium or venue
In Spanish
arena
de playa
Spanish "arena" means: sand
Why they get mixed up The floor of Roman coliseums was covered in sand, and the venue itself came to be called "arena" in Latin. English kept the sense of the venue for spectacles. Spanish "arena" stuck with the material itself, the granular ground.
If you want to say...
- arenapabellón o estadio
- sandarena
- the political arenael ámbito político
Examples
The concert was held in a huge arena.
El concierto fue en un enorme estadio.
The boxing arena was packed.
El recinto de boxeo estaba lleno.
The team won in front of a full arena.
El equipo ganó frente a un estadio lleno.
Politics is the arena where new ideas fight.
La política es el terreno donde luchan las ideas nuevas.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Los niños jugaron en la arena del estadio.
Correct: Los niños jugaron en el estadio.
Arena in Spanish is sand. Stadium is estadio.
Incorrect: El concierto fue en una gran arena.
Correct: El concierto fue en un gran estadio.
Use estadio, pabellón or recinto for an arena.
Phrases you will hear
- a sports arenaun estadio deportivo
- the political arenael ámbito político
- an indoor arenaun pabellón cubierto
- a concert arenaun recinto para conciertos
- sand at the beachla arena de la playa
- enter the arenaentrar al ruedo
In a conversation
- A:
Where is the game tonight?
¿Dónde es el juego esta noche?
- B:
At the new arena downtown.
En el nuevo pabellón del centro.
- A:
Great. Let's go to the beach tomorrow.
Genial. Vamos mañana a la playa.
- B:
Sure. I love the sand there.
Claro. Me encanta la arena de ahí.
Test yourself
"A sports arena" is...
To remember it
Arena (English) = a stadium/venue. Beach sand = sand.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "arena" mean?
Spanish "arena" means "sand". It looks like the English "arena", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "arena" means "a stadium or venue".
Does English "arena" mean the same as Spanish "arena"?
The floor of Roman coliseums was covered in sand, and the venue itself came to be called "arena" in Latin. English kept the sense of the venue for spectacles. Spanish "arena" stuck with the material itself, the granular ground.