Spanish Conversation · Level 34
75 words
Spanish word
novela
Pronunciation
IPA/noˈβela/
Meaning
- feminine nounnovel
Example
Esta novela refleja la vida en el campo.
This novel reflects life in the countryside.
More examples
Ayer empecé a leer una novela de misterio.
Yesterday I began reading a mystery novel.
Core concept
A book-length narrative in prose focused on characters and plot development across chapters.
Common phrases
leer una novela
reading a novel
una novela de misterio
a mystery novel
una novela romántica
a romance novel
Similar words
libro: Comprises a bound or digital publication of written material collected as a single book.
cuento: Offers a brief story that centers on a single episode or moment.
relato: Provides a short, sequential account of events or experiences, often concise and direct.
historia: Records or tells the plot or sequence of events, real or imagined, as a connected account.
Definition in Spanish
Texto narrativo extenso en prosa que cuenta una historia completa, real o ficticia, con personajes y un desarrollo organizado a lo largo de capítulos.
Word origin
Spanish novela comes from medieval Italian novella and from Latin novellus "new", and it originally meant "a new story" before coming to denote the long fictional work.
Usage tips
- In conversation, novela normally refers to a printed or book-format story, while televised serial drama is called telenovela or serie.