Spanish · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Sand" in Spanish: arena

la arena

Say it: ah-REH-nahfeminine · la arenanoun/aˈɾe.na/

Sand is la arena (ah-REH-nah). It is feminine: la arena. En la arena means on the sand. Plural arenas appears in set phrases.

Beach day

Camino descalzo en la arena.
I walk barefoot on the sand.
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How to pronounce arena

Say it

ah-REH-nah

/aˈɾe.na/

ah-REH-nah. Stress REH. Soft r tap. Soft final a. Say arena in three beats.

"Sand" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
la arenathe sand

Beach and desert sand.

en la arenaon the sand

Sitting or walking.

arena finafine sand

Beach description.

lleno de arenafull of sand

Shoes and towels.

How to use arena in real life

  1. 1Beach day

    Camino descalzo en la arena.

    I walk barefoot on the sand.

    En la arena.

  2. 2After swimming

    Tengo arena en los zapatos.

    I have sand in my shoes.

    Arena without article works.

  3. 3Kids play

    Construyen un castillo de arena.

    They build a sandcastle.

    De arena.

Mistakes English speakers make with arena

Incorrect: El arena está caliente.

Correct: La arena está caliente.

Arena is feminine: la arena.

Incorrect: Me siento a la arena.

Correct: Me siento en la arena.

Say en la arena for location.

Good to know

Beach towns warn that la arena quema at midday. Families shake towels to quit the arena. Arena also names bullrings; beach context is clear.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Arriving at the beach

  1. ChatPal

    ¿Ponemos la toalla en la arena?

    Shall we put the towel on the sand?

  2. You

    Sí. La arena está tibia.

    Yes. The sand is warm.

  3. ChatPal

    Cuidado: hay arena en tu bolsa.

    Careful: there’s sand in your bag.

  4. You

    La limpio ya.

    I’ll clean it now.

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"Sand" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Sand" in Spanish

Is arena feminine?

Yes: la arena.

How do you pronounce arena?

ah-REH-nah with stress on REH.

How do I say on the sand?

En la arena.

Does arena mean anything else?

Yes—arena can mean a bullring; beach talk is still la arena.

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