T is the twenty-first letter and the seventeenth consonant of the Spanish alphabet. It is a very frequent letter in Spanish, appearing before and after all the vowels as well as certain consonants.
El tren que va a Madrid está retrasado.
The train to Madrid is delayed.Tosí toda la noche por la gripe.
I coughed all night because of the flu.
The letter T may appear in initial, middle, or final position in the word:
- Words starting with T: taza (cup), temor (fear), traje (suit).
- Words with T in them: guitarra (guitar), botella (bottle), montaña (mountain).
- Words ending in T. They are not frequent, being usually of foreign origin: internet, robot, test.
Pronunciation tip: The Spanish /t/ is a dento-alveolar sound, meaning that the tongue is pressed against the upper teeth, the alveolar ridge and the palate. Unlike its English counterpart, it is not a hard plosive, which means that Spanish /t/ a much softer sound:
- See also: Spanish alphabet
Spanish nouns that start with T
| taza cup | tienda store | traición treason |
| tomate tomato | tabla board | tobillo ankle |
| té tea | teclado keyboard | taxi taxi |
| tormenta storm | terremoto earthquake | tranvía streetcar |
| torre tower | timbre doorbell | tristeza sadness |
| tenedor fork | título title | tronco trunk |
| tarjeta card | turista tourist | tesoro treasure |
| tranquilidad tranquility | trigo wheat | techo roof |
| tapa lid, cap | túnel tunnel | templo temple |
| tijera scissors | testamento will | trueno thunder |
Animals starting with T: tigre (tiger), tortuga (turtle), tiburón (shark), topo (mole), tucán (toucan), termita (termite).
Foods starting with T: tallarines (noodles), trucha (trout), tocino (bacon), tostada (toast), tarta (pie), turrón (nougat).
Jobs starting with T: traductor (translator), taxista (taxi driver), técnico (technician), terapeuta (therapist), tenista (tennis player), trabajador social (social worker).
Names starting with T: Teresa, Trinidad, Tamara, Tatiana, Tomás, Tobías, Tiago, Tadeo.
¿Quieres una taza de té?
Would you like a cup of tea?Me esguincé el tobillo jugando al tenis.
I sprained my ankle playing tennis.Tomaremos un taxi a la estación.
We’ll take a taxi to the station.El pronóstico del tiempo pronostica tormenta para esta noche.
The weather forecast is calling for thunderstorms tonight.
- See also: Spanish nouns
Spanish adjectives that start with T
| tarde late | tradicional traditional | templado tibio |
| temprano early | trágico tragic | tentador tempting |
| tranquilo quiet | turístico turistic | tormentoso stormy |
| total total | turquesa turquoise | triunfante triumphant |
| triste sad | típico typical | tierno tender |
| terrible terrible | transparente transparent | tenebroso gloomy |
| tres three | turbio murky | teórico theoretical |
| tercero third | técnico technical | tóxico toxic |
| tibio warm | tembloroso trembling | táctil touch, tactile |
| torcido crooked | triple triple | tajante categorical |
Se está haciendo tarde; debo irme.
It's getting late; I must go.Ibiza es un destino turístico famoso.
Ibiza is a famous tourist destination.Vivimos en un barrio tranquilo en el norte de la ciudad.
We live in a quiet neighborhood in the north of the city.La nueva computadora tiene pantalla táctil.
The new computer has a touch screen.
Adjectives starting with T to describe a person
| trabajador hardworking | tenaz tenacious | torpe clumsy |
| talentoso talented | tímido shy | tacaño stingy |
| tranquilo calm | temerario reckless | testarudo pigheaded |
| tierno loving | tramposo cheating | temperamental temperamental |
| tolerante tolerant | terco stubborn | totalitario totalitarian |
Juana es una persona tolerante y sin prejuicios.
Juana is a tolerant and non-judgmental person.Esta obra fue creada por un joven y talentoso artista.
This piece was created by a young and talented artist.
- See also: Spanish adjectives
Spanish verbs that start with T
| tener to have | toser to cough | tragar to swallow |
| traer to bring | tejer to knit | trotar to jog |
| tomar to take, drink | transpirar to sweat | tolerar to tolerate |
| tocar to touch, play | temblar to shiver, shake | tirar to throw |
| trabajar to work | teñir to dye | transmitir to broadcast, transmit |
| terminar to finish | torcer to twist | tararear to hum |
| temer to fear | traicionar to betray | tallar to carve |
| tardar to take (time) | traducir to translate | tropezar to stumble |
| tachar to cross out | tratar to treat | tumbar to knock down |
| tapar to cover | trepar to climb | tender to hang up |
¿Me puedes ayudar a tender la ropa?
Can you help me hang up the clothes?Los alumnos deben tachar las respuestas incorrectas.
The students must cross out the wrong answers.Mi papá sale a trotar todas las mañanas.
My father goes jogging every morning.¿Cuánto tarda el tren de Madrid a Barcelona?
How long does the train from Madrid to Barcelona take?
- See also: Spanish verbs
Spanish adverbs that start with T
| tan so, such | técnicamente technically | tristemente sadly |
| tanto so much | tranquilamente quietly | turbulentamente turbulently |
| temprano early | tradicionalmente traditionally | tardíamente late, belatedly |
| tarde late | teóricamente theoretically | tiránicamente tyrannically |
| también too, also | tentativamente tentatively | tortuosamente tortuously |
| todavía still, yet | tenazmente tenaciously | tenebrosamente gloomily |
| tampoco neither | temporalmente temporarily | terapéuticamente therapeutically |
| tal such | terriblemente terribly | tácticamente tactically |
| totalmente totally | torpemente clumsily | taxativamente restrictively |
| tímidamente shyly | tontamente foolishly | transitoriamente temporarily |
A Vicky le gusta levantarse tarde los fines de semana.
Vicky likes to sleep late on weekends.La niña preguntó tímidamente si podía comer pastel.
The little girl timidly asked if she could eat cake.El problema ha sido explicado teóricamente.
The problem has been explained theoretically.La línea se encuentra temporalmente fuera de servicio.
The line is temporarily out of service.
- See also: Spanish adverbs
More everyday Spanish words that start with T
Some more everyday Spanish words and expressions that start with T include:
tal vez
maybe, perhaps
tú
you
tu
your
tuyo
yours
te
you (object and reflexive pronoun)
todo
the whole
todos
all, everyone
trimestre
quarter
temperatura
temperature
termómetro
thermometer
La temperatura subirá en los próximos días.
The temperature will rise in the next few days.
Todos están de acuerdo con la decisión del jurado.
Everyone agrees with the jury's decision.
Las ventas de la compañía no han sido buenas este trimestre.
The company’s sales haven’t been good this quarter.
¿Este libro es tuyo?
Is this book yours?
You may also like:
Practice: Spanish words with T
References
- Wordreference.com, “tajante,” accessed November 21, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary, 3rd edition on CD-ROM, Oxford University Press.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary, accessed November 21, 2024, under “pigheaded,” https://www.merriam-webster.com/
- Enciclopedia del Lenguaje, “Palabras con T,” by Carla Giani. Last updated October 25, 2024, https://lenguaje.com/
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