Meaning
The act of performing vocal music.
Cultural Background
The 'Serenata' is a tradition where a man hires Mariachis to 'cantar una canción' under a woman's window to woo her. During the 'Rocío' pilgrimage, people gather to 'cantar una canción' (specifically sevillanas) as a form of religious and social expression. The 'Payada' is a competitive tradition where two people 'cantan una canción' improvised, like a modern rap battle but with guitars.
The 'Ción' Rule
Almost all Spanish words ending in -ción are feminine and take 'la' or 'una'.
Drop the 'Una'
In casual conversation, you can just say 'Voy a cantar' if the context of a song is already clear.
Meaning
The act of performing vocal music.
The 'Ción' Rule
Almost all Spanish words ending in -ción are feminine and take 'la' or 'una'.
Drop the 'Una'
In casual conversation, you can just say 'Voy a cantar' if the context of a song is already clear.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'cantar'.
Mañana, yo ___ una canción en la escuela.
'Mañana' indicates the future tense.
Which is the correct feminine form?
Me gusta ___ canción.
'Canción' is feminine, so it requires 'esta'.
Match the verb with the correct object.
Match the actions:
You sing songs, play guitars, and write lyrics.
Complete the dialogue.
Juan: ¿Qué haces? María: ___ una canción de Shakira.
The present continuous is used for actions happening right now.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Types of Songs to Sing
Traditional
- • Canción de cuna
- • Villancico
- • Himno
Modern
- • Canción pop
- • Rock
- • Reggaetón
Practice Bank
4 exercisesMañana, yo ___ una canción en la escuela.
'Mañana' indicates the future tense.
Me gusta ___ canción.
'Canción' is feminine, so it requires 'esta'.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
You sing songs, play guitars, and write lyrics.
Juan: ¿Qué haces? María: ___ una canción de Shakira.
The present continuous is used for actions happening right now.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
3 questionsIt's grammatically correct but sounds unnatural. 'Cantar una canción' is the standard collocation.
Yes, always. 'La canción', 'una canción', 'las canciones'.
'Cantar' is general. 'Entonar' specifically means to sing in tune or to start the first notes of a melody.
Related Phrases
Cantar las cuarenta
similarTo tell someone off / tell the truth.
Tocar una canción
contrastTo play a song on an instrument.
Canción de cuna
specialized formLullaby.
