English–Spanish

“prison” in Spanish

Spanish

Alsoprisión

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈkaɾθel/

Example

Mi hermano está en la cárcel.

My brother is in prison.

Illustration for cárcel (prison)

How to say “prison” in Spanish

“Prison” in Spanish is cárcel.

Institution where people are lawfully held as punishment or while their legal process continues.

Full entry for cárcel: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with cárcel

Después del juicio, lo llevaron a la cárcel.

After the trial, he was taken to prison.

Tips for using cárcel

  • In everyday speech cárcel is the common term, while prisión appears more often in formal or legal contexts.

Other Spanish words for “prison”

Mi amigo está en la prisión.

My friend is in prison.

“prison” in other languages