Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Song in Spanish: Canción
Canción · noun (feminine) · kahn-SYOHN
Song in Spanish is canción, a feminine noun. It covers pop songs, folk songs, lullabies, and any musical composition with lyrics. The verb to sing is cantar. Informally, a song (especially a track on an album) may be called un tema.
kahn-SYOHN — two syllables with stress on the second. The accent on the ó marks the stress.
Esa canción me recuerda a mi infancia.
That song reminds me of my childhood.
Song in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for song, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| canción | song | kahn-SYOHN | Default, widely understood |
| canto | song | a chant, birdsong, or poetic song | |
| tema | song | a track, song on an album (informal) |
How Native Speakers Use Canción
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Listening to music
¿Cuál es tu canción favorita de este álbum?
What's your favorite song on this album?
Canción favorita is the most natural way to ask about a preferred song.
Singing
Cantó una canción de cuna para que el bebé se durmiera.
She sang a lullaby so the baby would fall asleep.
Canción de cuna = lullaby. Canción de amor = love song.
Informal track reference
Ese tema nuevo de Bad Bunny está increíble.
That new Bad Bunny song is incredible.
Tema is informal for a track/song, especially in music discussions.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Canción
Using canto for a pop song
Incorrect: Escuché un canto de Taylor Swift.
Correct: Escuché una canción de Taylor Swift.
Canto refers to birdsong, religious chanting, or poetic song sections — not pop music. For recorded music, use canción.
Wrong gender
Incorrect: El canción es muy bonito.
Correct: La canción es muy bonita.
Canción is feminine despite ending in -ón. Use la canción and feminine adjectives: bonita, nueva, famosa.
Lock in Song 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 Canción used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using canción in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Esa canción me recuerda a mi infancia. 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 Song in Spanish
- How do you say song in Spanish?
- Song is canción in Spanish. It is feminine: la canción. Plural: las canciones (note: the accent disappears in the plural).
- What is the difference between canción and tema?
- Canción is the standard word for song. Tema (literally theme) is informal slang for a track or song, especially when discussing albums or playlists.
- How do you say songwriter in Spanish?
- Compositor/a (who writes the music) or cantautor/a (singer-songwriter who writes and performs their own songs).