Spanish Conversation · Level 76
60 words
Spanish word
barriada
Pronunciation
IPA/baˈrjaða/
Meaning
- feminine nounslum
Example
Los niños juegan en la barriada después de la escuela.
The children play in the slum after school.
More examples
La barriada carece de servicios básicos.
The slum lacks basic services.
Core concept
Densely packed urban neighborhood of low-cost, informal housing with limited services.
Common phrases
vivir en la barriada
live in the slum
en la barriada
in the slum
la barriada pobre
the poor slum
Similar words
barrio: Defined urban neighborhood or district with a mix of residences, shops, and local institutions.
vecindario: Immediate neighborhood around a home where neighbors share daily interactions and routines.
suburbio: Suburban area at the edge of a town, mainly residential and often commuter-oriented.
asentamiento: Informal settlement of rudimentary homes erected without regular urban planning or services.
Definition in Spanish
Asentamiento urbano caracterizado por viviendas de escasos recursos y servicios limitados, frecuentemente de carácter informal.
Word origin
From barrio ('neighborhood') plus the suffix -ada, which forms a collective and here narrowed to denote an impoverished or informal settlement.
Usage tips
- Often considered pejorative in polite conversation, barriada implies poverty and informality so use asentamiento or barrio for a more neutral tone.
Other meanings
- poor neighborhoodnoun
Opposites
- zona residencialresidential areanoun
- barrio acomodadoaffluent neighborhoodnoun