Home › Dominican Spanish › Slang dictionary › el batey
What does «el batey» mean in Dominican Spanish?
el batey
a sugar-mill settlement
| Meaning | a sugar-mill settlement |
|---|---|
| Standard Spanish | poblado de una zona cañera |
| Register | Neutral |
«Se crió en un batey de San Pedro.»
He grew up in a batey near San Pedro.
A settlement beside the sugar mills, lived in mostly by cane workers and their descendants, many of Haitian origin. The word is Taíno and originally meant the village's central square.
Related Dominican words
- capitaleño — from Santo Domingo
- colmado — corner store
- el barrio — the neighborhood
- el callejón — the alley
- el comedor — small cheap eatery
- el malecón — the seafront promenade
- el monte — the bush, the countryside
- el parador — a roadside stop
- la bomba — the gas station
- la clínica — the private clinic
Practise Dominican Spanish on your phone
The free app Learn Dominican Spanish teaches these words in real conversations, with Dominican audio, games and a map of the Dominican Republic.
Free: 50 Dominican words you'll hear on day one
A 10-page PDF with meanings and real examples. Straight to your inbox.
Learn to speak it, not just read it
These words come from the course of José, a Dominican Spanish teacher. Practise them in context with the free lessons, or book a class and talk with a real Dominican.