Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Season in Spanish: Estación, Temporada, and Sazonar
Estación · noun (feminine) / verb · ehs-tah-SYOHN
Season translates differently depending on context: estación for the four calendar seasons, temporada for a stretch of time like a TV or sports season, and sazonar when you season food with spices.
ehs-tah-SYOHN for estación, tehm-poh-RAH-dah for temporada, sah-soh-NAHR for sazonar.
Mi estación favorita es el otoño.
My favorite season is autumn.
Season in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for season, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| estación | season | ehs-tah-SYOHN | Default, widely understood |
| temporada | season | TV season, sports season, tourist season | |
| sazonar | season | verb: to season food with spices | |
| condimentar | season | verb: to season / spice, more formal |
How Native Speakers Use Estación
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Calendar season
En esta estación del año, las temperaturas bajan mucho.
In this season of the year, temperatures drop a lot.
Estación refers specifically to spring, summer, autumn, or winter.
TV / sports season
Ya salió la nueva temporada de mi serie favorita.
The new season of my favorite show is already out.
Temporada is used for entertainment seasons, sports leagues, and tourist periods.
Seasoning food
Sazona el pollo con sal, pimienta y comino antes de ponerlo al horno.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin before putting it in the oven.
Sazonar is the culinary verb meaning to add spices or seasoning.
Tourist season
Durante la temporada alta, los hoteles duplican sus precios.
During peak season, hotels double their prices.
Temporada alta (high season) and temporada baja (low season) are set phrases for tourism.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Estación
Using estación for a TV show
Incorrect: ¿Viste la segunda estación de la serie?
Correct: ¿Viste la segunda temporada de la serie?
Estación is only for the four seasons of the year. For TV, sports, or time periods, temporada is the correct word.
Using sazón as the verb
Incorrect: Sazón la carne con ajo.
Correct: Sazona la carne con ajo.
Sazón is the noun meaning seasoning or flavor. The verb form is sazonar, conjugated here as sazona for the tú imperative.
Lock in Season 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 Estación used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using estación in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Mi estación favorita es el otoño. 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 Season in Spanish
- Does estación only mean season?
- No, estación also means station—as in estación de tren (train station) or estación de radio (radio station). Context always makes the meaning clear.
- What is the difference between temporada and estación?
- Estación is limited to the four calendar seasons (primavera, verano, otoño, invierno). Temporada covers any bounded period: a TV season, a sports season, holiday season, or tourist high/low season.
- How do I say seasoning as a noun?
- The noun is sazón (feminine in most regions) or condimento. Sazón can also mean a cook's special touch—tener buena sazón means someone has a gift for making food taste great.