Spanish word

tele

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈtele/

Meaning

  • feminine nountelevision

Example

La tele está en la sala.

The television is in the living room.

Illustration for tele (television)

More examples

Vamos a encender la tele para ver el partido.

Let's turn on the TV to watch the match.

Core concept

A home TV set and the programs shown on it.

Common phrases

  • encender la tele

    turn on the TV

  • apagar la tele

    turn off the TV

  • poner la tele

    turn on the TV

Similar words

televisión: Broadcast medium made up of channels and programs; the audiovisual content audiences watch.
TV: Informal abbreviation in speech and casual writing that refers to the television set or medium.
televisor: Household appliance that shows moving images and sound on a screen: the hardware television unit.

Definition in Spanish

Forma coloquial usada para referirse al aparato de televisión o a las emisiones y programas que se ven en él.

Word origin

Tele is a colloquial shortening of televisión, which reached Spanish via French télévision and is built from Greek tele 'far' and Latin visio 'seeing'.

Usage tips

  • Spanish speakers usually use the feminine article la with tele, and conversational questions such as ¿Qué hay en la tele? are a common way to ask about what is on.

Related words

Word lists with this word