vs
QUICK ANSWER
"Penal" is an adjective which is often translated as "penal", and "criminal" is an adjective which is often translated as "criminal". Learn more about the difference between "penal" and "criminal" below.
penal(
peh
-
nahl
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
2. (jail)
a. prison
El reo tuvo que cumplir cuatro años en el penal de Santa María.The criminal had to serve four years in Santa Maria prison.
b. penitentiary (United States)
Regionalism used in the United States
Jake escapó del penal con la ayuda de los guardias.Jake escaped from the penitentiary with help from the guards.
3. (sports) (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
los penales
A plural noun indicates that there is more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
4. (deportes)
a. penalty shootout
Como el partido quedó empatado, los equipos tuvieron que ir a penales.As the game was at a tie, the teams had to go to a penalty shootout.
criminal(
kree
-
mee
-
nahl
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
