Spanish Conversation · Level 8
90 words
Spanish word
tempo
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈtempo/
Meaning
- masculine nountempo
Example
¿Cuál es el tempo de esta canción?
What is the tempo of this song?
More examples
Intenté seguir el tempo de la conversación, pero hablaban muy deprisa.
I tried to keep to the tempo of the conversation, but they spoke very quickly.
Core concept
Pulse or rate that sets how quickly notes are played in a piece of music.
Common phrases
el tempo de la conversación
tempo of the conversation
seguir el tempo
keep to the tempo
cambiar el tempo
change tempo
Similar words
ritmo: Repeating pattern of beats and accents that shapes a piece's rhythmic feel.
velocidad: General rate at which an object or action moves or occurs.
paso: Speed of walking or the rate at which a task or activity progresses.
Definition in Spanish
Ritmo o rapidez con que se ejecutan las notas u ocurren las acciones, usado sobre todo en contextos musicales para señalar si una pieza es rápida o lenta.
Word origin
Via Italian tempo from Latin tempus 'time', the word takes on a musical meaning for playing rate and is also used figuratively for the speed of activities.
Usage tips
- In everyday Spanish, ritmo and paso are the usual words for pace, so reserve tempo for musical contexts, score markings, or explicit metaphors.