Spanish word

telenovela

Pronunciation

IPA/telenoˈβela/

Meaning

  • feminine nounsoap opera

Example

La telenovela tiene muchos capítulos.

The soap opera has many episodes.

Illustration for telenovela (soap opera)

More examples

¿Con quién comentas la telenovela normalmente?

Who do you usually discuss the soap opera with?

Core concept

Melodramatic TV serial that builds toward an expected climax.

Common phrases

  • ponerse a ver la telenovela

    start watching the soap opera

  • la telenovela diaria

    the daily soap opera

  • comentar la telenovela con amigos

    discuss the soap opera with friends

Similar words

serie: Television program made of episodes whose plot or characters develop across a season.
culebrón: Long, highly emotional TV serial with drawn-out melodrama and sensational twists.
novela: Long-form fictional narrative, a book-length story focused on characters and plot.

Definition in Spanish

Obra televisiva seriada de tono melodramático que desarrolla una trama continua en varios capítulos y suele tener un final previsto.

Word origin

From tele- 'television' + novela 'novel', the term frames the program as a televised novel that develops melodrama over many episodes toward an anticipated conclusion.

Usage tips

  • When discussing them, Spanish speakers commonly use ver (ver una telenovela) for watching, and conversational questions like '¿Qué telenovela viste?' invite plot summaries and emotional reactions.

Other meanings

  • melodramanoun

Related words

  • telenovelerosoap opera fannoun

Word lists with this word