What is the difference between 'cerradura' and 'candado'?

Cerradura is a lock mechanism permanently installed in a door, drawer, or cabinet, operated with a key that inserts into a keyhole. Candado is a portable padlock — the detachable device with a shackle that clicks shut and requires a key or combination to open. A house has cerraduras on its doors and candados on storage sheds or lockers.

How do you say 'locksmith' in Spanish?

A locksmith is called a cerrajero (masculine) or cerrajera (feminine), derived from cerraja, an old word for lock. The locksmith shop is a cerrajería. In an emergency, you would search for cerrajero de emergencia or cerrajero 24 horas to find someone available around the clock.

What does 'echar llave' mean?

Echar llave is an informal shorthand for cerrar con llave, meaning to lock a door. The phrase literally translates as 'to throw the key' and is extremely common in everyday speech: ¿Echaste llave? (Did you lock up?) is a question heard in households every evening across the Spanish-speaking world.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

Lock in Spanish: Cerradura / Candado

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Cerradura / Candado · noun · seh-rrah-DOO-rah / kahn-DAH-doh

Spanish uses different words for different types of locks: cerradura for a built-in door lock mechanism, and candado for a padlock — the portable, U-shaped lock that snaps shut. The verb 'to lock' is cerrar con llave (literally, 'to close with a key') or simply echar llave. Knowing which noun to use depends on whether the lock is part of a door or a standalone device.

Cerradura has four syllables with a rolled rr: seh-rrah-DOO-rah. Candado has three syllables: kahn-DAH-doh. Both words carry their stress on the penultimate syllable.

La cerradura de la puerta principal se trabó y no podemos entrar.

The lock on the front door jammed and we can't get in.

Lock in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for lock, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
cerradura / candado	lock	seh-rrah-DOO-rah / kahn-DAH-doh	Default, widely understood
cerrar con llave	lock		verb phrase meaning 'to lock'
chapa	lock		Mexico and Central America for door lock

How Native Speakers Use Cerradura / Candado

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Door lock

Necesitamos cambiar la cerradura porque la llave ya no gira.

We need to change the lock because the key no longer turns.

Cerradura refers to the door's built-in lock mechanism.

Padlock

Puse un candado nuevo en el portón del jardín.

I put a new padlock on the garden gate.

Candado is specifically the portable lock device.

Verb form

No olvides cerrar con llave cuando salgas de casa.

Don't forget to lock up when you leave the house.

Cerrar con llave is the standard verb phrase for locking.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Cerradura / Candado

Using candado for a door lock

Incorrect: El candado de mi puerta no funciona.

Correct: La cerradura de mi puerta no funciona.

Candado refers specifically to a padlock, not the lock mechanism built into a door. Using candado for a door lock would confuse a locksmith about which type of lock needs repair.

Direct translation of 'to lock'

Incorrect: Voy a locar la puerta.

Correct: Voy a cerrar la puerta con llave.

There is no Spanish verb locar derived from the English 'lock.' The correct construction is cerrar con llave or echar llave.

Lock in Lock Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Cerradura / Candado used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using cerradura / candado in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear La cerradura de la puerta principal se trabó y no podemos entrar. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Lock in Spanish

What is the difference between 'cerradura' and 'candado'?: Cerradura is a lock mechanism permanently installed in a door, drawer, or cabinet, operated with a key that inserts into a keyhole. Candado is a portable padlock — the detachable device with a shackle that clicks shut and requires a key or combination to open. A house has cerraduras on its doors and candados on storage sheds or lockers.
How do you say 'locksmith' in Spanish?: A locksmith is called a cerrajero (masculine) or cerrajera (feminine), derived from cerraja, an old word for lock. The locksmith shop is a cerrajería. In an emergency, you would search for cerrajero de emergencia or cerrajero 24 horas to find someone available around the clock.
What does 'echar llave' mean?: Echar llave is an informal shorthand for cerrar con llave, meaning to lock a door. The phrase literally translates as 'to throw the key' and is extremely common in everyday speech: ¿Echaste llave? (Did you lock up?) is a question heard in households every evening across the Spanish-speaking world.