The Spanish course’s Arts, Music vocabulary covers the most important words for talking about visual arts, music, and creativity—you can name instruments, describe artworks, and express your artistic interests. Here are the key categories:

Visual Arts
Music
Creativity & Expression

The course includes example sentences, grammar tips, and insights to help you use the vocabulary confidently in real life.

Visual Arts

Visual Arts includes words for painting, drawing, and sculpture. You’ll learn the names of art materials, styles, and artists.

Visual Arts Vocabulary

Here are 15 visual arts words in Spanish and English, each with an example sentence in both languages.

Spanish	English	Spanish Example	English Example
el arte	art	El arte es una forma de expresión.	Art is a form of expression.
la pintura	painting	Me gusta la pintura abstracta.	I like abstract painting.
el dibujo	drawing	Hice un dibujo de un paisaje.	I made a drawing of a landscape.
la escultura	sculpture	La escultura es de mármol.	The sculpture is made of marble.
el artista	artist	El artista expone su obra hoy.	The artist is exhibiting his work today.
el lienzo	canvas	Pinté sobre un lienzo grande.	I painted on a large canvas.
el color	color	El color azul es muy calmante.	The color blue is very calming.
el pincel	paintbrush	Uso un pincel fino para detalles.	I use a fine paintbrush for details.
la galería	gallery	Visitamos una galería de arte.	We visited an art gallery.
el museo	museum	El museo tiene pinturas famosas.	The museum has famous paintings.
el retrato	portrait	Hice un retrato de mi abuela.	I made a portrait of my grandmother.
la exposición	exhibition	La exposición termina este domingo.	The exhibition ends this Sunday.
el paisaje	landscape	Pinté un paisaje de montaña.	I painted a mountain landscape.
el boceto	sketch	Hice un boceto rápido.	I made a quick sketch.
el estilo	style	Su estilo es muy moderno.	His style is very modern.

Using Visual Arts Vocabulary

These nouns are usually used with the following prepositions:

de — el arte de Picasso (Picasso’s art)
en — pintar en acuarela (paint in watercolor)
sobre — pintar sobre lienzo (paint on canvas)
con — dibujar con lápiz (draw with pencil)
en — exposición en la galería (exhibition at the gallery)

Artists and art-related activities are often introduced with these structures:

Me gusta + [noun] — Me gusta la pintura. (I like painting.)
Hacer + [noun] — Hice un dibujo. (I made a drawing.)
Ser + [adjective/noun] — El artista es famoso. (The artist is famous.)
Ir a + [place] — Voy al museo. (I’m going to the museum.)

Cultural Tip

In Spanish-speaking countries, art is deeply valued and often tied to cultural identity. Visiting a museo or galería is a popular way to spend an afternoon.

Music

Music Vocabulary covers instruments, genres, and terms for talking about songs and performances.

Music Vocabulary

Here are 15 music-related words in Spanish and English, each with examples.

Spanish	English	Spanish Example	English Example
la música	music	La música clásica es relajante.	Classical music is relaxing.
el instrumento	instrument	Toco varios instrumentos.	I play several instruments.
la canción	song	Esa canción es muy popular.	That song is very popular.
el cantante	singer	La cantante tiene una voz hermosa.	The singer has a beautiful voice.
el concierto	concert	Fuimos al concierto anoche.	We went to the concert last night.
el ritmo	rhythm	El ritmo es muy pegajoso.	The rhythm is very catchy.
la letra	lyrics	Me gusta la letra de esta canción.	I like the lyrics of this song.
la guitarra	guitar	Toco la guitarra acústica.	I play the acoustic guitar.
el piano	piano	Estudia piano desde niño.	He has studied piano since he was a child.
el tambor	drum	El tambor marca el ritmo.	The drum sets the beat.
el violín	violin	El violín suena en la orquesta.	The violin plays in the orchestra.
el álbum	album	El álbum salió el mes pasado.	The album came out last month.
el escenario	stage	El cantante subió al escenario.	The singer went up on stage.
el público	audience	El público aplaudió mucho.	The audience applauded a lot.
el género	genre	Mi género favorito es el rock.	My favorite genre is rock.

Using Music Vocabulary

Common prepositions with music words include:

de — la canción de amor (love song)
en — concierto en vivo (live concert)
con — tocar con la banda (play with the band)
por — canción escrita por el cantante (song written by the singer)
sobre — letra sobre el desamor (lyrics about heartbreak)

You’ll also see these verbs commonly:

tocar — to play (un instrumento)
cantar — to sing
escuchar — to listen to
componer — to compose/write
salir — (algo) salir (to be released)

Cultural Insight

Music is a cornerstone of Spanish-speaking cultures, from flamenco in Spain to salsa and reggaetón in Latin America. You’ll find music in festivals, celebrations, and everyday life.

Creativity & Expression

This category has words to help you talk about being creative, describing art and music, and sharing your opinions.

Creativity & Expression Vocabulary

Here are 15 useful words and phrases for discussing creativity and artistic expression.

Spanish	English	Spanish Example	English Example
crear	to create	Me gusta crear obras de arte.	I like to create works of art.
expresarse	to express oneself	El arte ayuda a expresarse.	Art helps you express yourself.
la inspiración	inspiration	La inspiración vino de la naturaleza.	The inspiration came from nature.
la emoción	emotion	La pintura transmite mucha emoción.	The painting conveys a lot of emotion.
original	original	Su estilo es muy original.	His style is very original.
creativo/a	creative	Ella es muy creativa.	She is very creative.
el talento	talent	Tiene mucho talento musical.	He has a lot of musical talent.
imaginar	to imagine	Puedo imaginar un mundo sin arte.	I can imagine a world without art.
interpretar	to interpret	Ella interpreta canciones clásicas.	She performs classical songs.
la belleza	beauty	La belleza está en los detalles.	Beauty is in the details.
el mensaje	message	El mensaje de la obra es profundo.	The message of the work is deep.
el sentimiento	feeling	La música expresa más que palabras.	Music expresses more than words.
la creatividad	creativity	La creatividad no tiene límites.	Creativity has no limits.
desarrollar	to develop	Quiero desarrollar mis habilidades artísticas.	I want to develop my artistic skills.
el estilo personal	personal style	Cada artista tiene un estilo personal.	Every artist has a personal style.

Using Creativity & Expression Vocabulary

Common verbs and phrases include:

crear — crear arte/música (to create art/music)
expresarse — expresarse libremente (to express oneself freely)
tener + [noun] — tener talento/creatividad (to have talent/creativity)
desarrollar — desarrollar habilidades (to develop skills)
imaginar — imaginar escenas/historias (to imagine scenes/stories)
transmitir — transmitir emociones/mensajes (to convey emotions/messages)
interpretar — interpretar una canción/rol (to perform a song/role)

These words help you go beyond naming objects and start talking about feelings, processes, and meanings in art and music.

Complete the Spanish sentence with the correct word for 'talent': Tiene mucho _____ musical.

conocimiento

talento

estilo

creatividad

talento

'Talento' significa 'talent.' La frase completa es 'Tiene mucho talento musical.'

Conclusion

The Arts, Music vocabulary covers the most important Spanish and English terms for talking about visual arts, music, and creativity. You can name materials, instruments, genres, and also express inspiration and emotion. With these words and examples, you can confidently discuss artistic topics and share your creative interests in Spanish.

Complete the Spanish sentence with the correct word for 'rhythm': El _____ es muy pegajoso.

melodía

ritmo

tempo

compás

ritmo

'Ritmo' significa 'rhythm.' La frase es 'El ritmo es muy pegajoso.'

Flashcards (1 of 45)

English: art
English Example: Art is a form of expression.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025