Spanish word

tuna

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈtuna/

Meaning

  • feminine nounstudent band

Example

La tuna tocó canciones tradicionales en la plaza.

The student band played traditional songs in the square.

Illustration for tuna (student band)

More examples

¿Irás al concierto de la tuna este sábado?

Are you going to the student band concert this Saturday?

Core concept

Student musicians performing with guitars and light instruments at a festival or academic event.

Common phrases

  • concierto de la tuna

    student band concert

  • miembro de la tuna

    member of the student band

Similar words

grupo: Loose group of people gathered for a common activity or purpose.
banda: Music ensemble of several performers, often including percussion and wind instruments.
orquesta: Large ensemble with many string and wind players formed for formal orchestral performances.
agrupación: Organized grouping of people or organizations formed to pursue a shared goal.

Definition in Spanish

Agrupación musical formada por estudiantes, especialmente universitarios, que interpretan canciones y piezas con instrumentos sencillos y actúan en plazas, fiestas y actos académicos.

Word origin

Derived from medieval Spanish for a student music ensemble, the musical sense is unrelated to the fruit sense that comes from Nahuatl.

Usage tips

  • The group typically appears with the feminine article la (la tuna) and collocates such as universidad, plaza, or concierto help identify the musical meaning.

Other meanings

  • cactus fruitnoun
  • prickly pearnoun

Word lists with this word