Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Singing in Spanish: Cantar
Cantar · verb · kahn-TAHR
Cantar is the Spanish verb for to sing, and it doubles as a noun meaning a song or chant in literary contexts. It is a perfectly regular -ar verb, making it one of the easiest verbs for beginners to conjugate. The noun form for the act of singing is el canto, while a singer is un cantante.
Say kahn-TAHR, with the stress on the final syllable. The a in both syllables is a clear, open Spanish a.
Me encanta cantar en la ducha por las mañanas.
I love singing in the shower in the mornings.
Singing in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for singing, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| cantar | singing | kahn-TAHR | Default, widely understood |
| canto | singing | as a noun — the act or art of singing |
How Native Speakers Use Cantar
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Enjoying music at home
A mi hermana le gusta cantar mientras cocina la cena.
My sister likes singing while she cooks dinner.
Cantar is a common everyday action associated with leisure and relaxation.
Performing for an audience
La cantante cantó tres canciones nuevas durante el concierto.
The singer sang three new songs during the concert.
Cantante (singer) and canción (song) share the same root as cantar.
Children singing in school
Los niños cantaron el himno nacional al inicio de la ceremonia.
The children sang the national anthem at the start of the ceremony.
Singing the national anthem is a common school activity across Latin America.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Cantar
Confusing cantar with contar
Incorrect: Mi abuela siempre nos contaba canciones antes de dormir.
Correct: Mi abuela siempre nos cantaba canciones antes de dormir.
Contar means to tell or to count, while cantar means to sing. Swapping a single vowel changes the meaning entirely — she told us songs versus she sang us songs.
Using the wrong noun form
Incorrect: Estudio la cantación en la universidad.
Correct: Estudio el canto en la universidad.
Cantación is not a standard Spanish word. The noun for the art or act of singing is el canto. A song is una canción, which is a different word.
Lock in Singing 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 Cantar used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using cantar in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Me encanta cantar en la ducha por las mañanas. 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 Singing in Spanish
- How do you say singing in Spanish?
- The verb is cantar (to sing), and the noun for the act of singing is el canto. For example, me gusta cantar means I like singing, and estudia canto means she studies singing.
- What is the difference between cantar and contar?
- Cantar means to sing, while contar means to tell or to count. The difference is a single vowel — a versus o — but they are completely unrelated verbs. Mixing them up is a common beginner mistake that context usually clarifies.
- How do you say singer and song in Spanish?
- A singer is cantante (the same form for male and female, with only the article changing: el cantante, la cantante). A song is canción. Both derive from the verb cantar, so learning one root gives you access to several related words.