Toda una frase.
Quite a sentence.
With a towel on his head, he quotes a famous musician to the camera, then nods at a line worth remembering. Toda una frase is praise.
From Un experto en diversiones · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "sentence" in Spanish
la frase
nounfeminineplural: las frases
"Sentence" in Spanish is la frase, a feminine noun said FRAH-seh. Grammar books also use la oración. A sentence from a judge is a different word: la sentencia, or la condena for the time someone has to serve.
Hear "frase" in real movie scenes
A quote worth remembering and a line to rehearse. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Es una frase importante.
It's an important sentence.
A couple outside their house rehearse what to say to the new neighbors, and this one line has to come out right.
From Buenos vecinos · Spanish audio
Frase, oración, sentencia: which one?
English uses one word. Spanish picks a different one for daily talk, grammar class and the courtroom.
| Spanish | What it means | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| la frase | sentence, line, quote | The everyday word: una frase en español. |
| la oración | sentence (grammar term) | Used in grammar books and class. It also means prayer. |
| la sentencia | a court's sentence, a ruling | What a judge hands down at the end of a trial. |
| la condena | a sentence to serve | una condena de dos años, a two-year sentence. |
| una frase hecha | a set phrase, an idiom | Hecha means made: a ready-made phrase. |
Tip: To ask about a line you don't get, say ¿Qué significa esta frase? What does this sentence mean?
Grammar: la frase, las frases
Four things to know about this everyday word.
Feminine, ending in -e
It's la frase, even though the ending gives no hint. Plural: las frases. Una frase corta is a short sentence.This sentence
Use the feminine form: esta frase, esa frase. To name something you point at, use the neutral esto: Esto es una frase.Frase or oración
In daily talk people say frase. In grammar lessons you'll read oración, as in una oración simple.Classroom lines
¿Puedes repetir la frase? Can you repeat the sentence? Escribe una frase. Write a sentence.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
la frase
the sentence
Es la frase de Elena.
It's Elena's sentence.
Esto es una frase.
This is a sentence.
Por favor, recita una frase.
Please recite a sentence.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗el frase
✓la frase
The -e ending hides the gender. Frase is feminine, so it's la frase and una frase.
✗una sentencia en español (meaning a written sentence)
✓una frase en español
Sentencia is what a judge hands down. For words on a page, say frase.
✗FRAYZ (pronunciation)
✓FRAH-seh
Say both syllables. A final e is never silent in Spanish.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 31 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Frase sounds like phrase said with a Spanish accent. Finish a phrase with a period and you have a frase.
Questions about "sentence" in Spanish
How do you say sentence in Spanish?
La frase. In grammar books you'll also see la oración.
What's the difference between frase and oración?
In everyday Spanish, frase is any sentence or line. Oración is the grammar term, and it also means prayer.
How do you say prison sentence in Spanish?
La condena: una condena de cinco años. The judge's ruling itself is la sentencia.
Is frase masculine or feminine?
Feminine: la frase, las frases, even though it ends in -e.
