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cárcel

prison

noun KAHR-sehl Less Common
People & Society Law

Origin: From Latin carcer, 'enclosure, prison'.

Also means

jail

Usage Note

Cárcel is feminine despite ending in a consonant — a common gender trap. Ir a la cárcel means 'to go to prison'; estar en la cárcel means 'to be in prison'. The synonym prisión is slightly more formal, while calabozo refers specifically to a jail cell or dungeon. The written accent on the first syllable marks the stress: KAHR-sehl.

Examples

"El ladrón fue enviado a la cárcel."

Natural Translation

The thief was sent to prison.

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