motel

See also: Motel and motél

English

Etymology

A motel sign

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti

Proto-Italic *moweō

Latin moveō

Proto-Indo-European *-tōr

Proto-Italic *-tōr

Latin -tor

Latin mōtorder.

Middle English motour

English motor

Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis

Proto-Indo-European *pótis

Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstipotis

Proto-Italic *hostipotis

Latin hospes

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin hospitālis

Old French ostel

Middle French hostel

French hôtelbor.

English hotel

blend

English motel

Blend of motor +‎ hotel, from the original Motel Inn of San Luis Obispo in California, United States, established in 1925 by Arthur Heineman (1878–1974).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /moʊˈtɛl/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛl
• Hyphenation: mo‧tel

Noun

motel (plural motels)

1. (also attributive) A type of hotel or lodging establishment, often located near a major highway, which typically features a series of rooms whose entrances are immediately adjacent to a parking lot to facilitate convenient access to parked automobiles.

   Synonym: motor hotel

2. A low-cost short-stay hotel, often with hourly rates rather than daily rates, and notorious for permitting illicit sexual activities; a love hotel.

Synonyms

• (hotel): See also Thesaurus:lodging place
• (love hotel): See also Thesaurus:love hotel

Derived terms

• graybar motel
• hot-sheet motel
• motelier
• no-tell motel
• roach motel
• telly

Translations

type of hotel

• Albanian: motel m
• Arabic: مُوتِيل m (mutil)
• Armenian: մոթել (hy) (motʻel)
• Azerbaijani: motel
• Belarusian: матэ́ль m (matélʹ)
• Bulgarian: моте́л m (motél)
• Burmese: မိုတယ် (muitai)
• Catalan: motel m
• Cherokee: ᏧᏂᏒᏍᏗᎢ (tsunisvsdii)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 汽車旅店 / 汽车旅店 (hei³ ce¹ leoi⁵ dim³)

  Hokkien: mo͘-té-lù

  Mandarin: 汽車旅館 / 汽车旅馆 (zh) (qìchē lǚguǎn)

• Cornish: karrostel m
• Czech: motel (cs) m
• Danish: motel (da) n
• Dutch: motel (nl) n
• Esperanto: motelo
• Estonian: motell
• Finnish: motelli (fi)
• French: motel (fr) m
• Galician: motel m
• Georgian: მოტელი (moṭeli)
• German: Motel (de) n
• Greek: μοτέλ (el) n (motél)
• Hebrew: מוֹטֶל (he) m (motél)
• Hindi: मोटेल m (moṭel)
• Hungarian: motel (hu)
• Ido: motelo
• Irish: óstán m, óstán cois bóthair m
• Italian: motel (it) m, autostello (it) m (rare), autoalbergo (it) m (uncommon)
• Japanese: モーテル (ja) (mōteru), モテル (ja) (moteru)
• Kazakh: мотель (motelʹ)
• Khmer: ម៉ូតែល (moutael)
• Korean: 모텔 (ko) (motel)
• Kyrgyz: мотель (ky) (motel)
• Latvian: motelis m
• Lithuanian: motelis m
• Macedonian: моте́л m (motél)
• Malay: motel
• Manx: carlan oast f
• Māori: mōtēra
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: motell n

• Persian: متل (fa) (motel), راهسرا (fa)
• Polish: motel (pl) m
• Portuguese: hotel de beira de estrada m
• Romanian: motel (ro) n
• Russian: моте́ль (ru) m (motɛ́lʹ), автопансиона́т (ru) m (avtopansionát)
• Scottish Gaelic: taigh-òsta motarachd m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: мо̀те̄л m

  Latin: mòtēl (sh) m

• Slovak: motel (sk) m
• Slovene: motel (sl) m
• Spanish: motel (es) m
• Swedish: motell (sv) n
• Tajik: мотел (motel), мотель (tg) (motel)
• Thai: โมเต็ล (moo-dtel)
• Turkish: motel (tr)
• Turkmen: motel
• Ukrainian: моте́ль m (motélʹ)
• Urdu: موٹل m (moṭel)
• Uzbek: motel (uz)
• Vietnamese: mô-ten, mô ten
• Welsh: motél m or f
• Yiddish: מאָטעל m (motel)

See also

• hotel
• inn
• motor court
• tourist court

Verb

motel (third-person singular simple present motels, present participle motelling, simple past and past participle motelled)

1. (informal, intransitive) To stay in a motel or motels.

Further reading

• motel on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• metol

Basque

Noun

motel

1. stammerer

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmotɛl]

Noun

motel m inan

1. motel

Declension

Declension of motel (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	motel	motely
genitive	motelu	motelů
dative	motelu	motelům
accusative	motel	motely
vocative	motele	motely
locative	motelu	motelech, motelích
instrumental	motelem	motely

Derived terms

• motýlek

Further reading

• “motel”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)
• “motel”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “motel”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English motel. The gender and pronunciation were adapted to agree with hotel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moːˈtɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: mo‧tel
• Rhymes: -ɛl

Noun

motel n (plural motels, diminutive motelletje n)

1. a motel (roadside hotel for motorists)

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

motel m (plural motels)

1. motel

Further reading

• “motel”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Italian

Alternative forms

• motello

Etymology

Borrowed from English motel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moˈtɛl/
• Rhymes: -ɛl
• Hyphenation: mo‧tèl

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

motel m (invariable)

1. motel

   Synonyms: (rare) autostello, (uncommon) autoalbergo

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti

Proto-Italic *moweō

Latin moveō

Proto-Indo-European *-tōr

Proto-Italic *-tōr

Latin -tor

Latin mōtorder.

Middle English motour

English motor

Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis

Proto-Indo-European *pótis

Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstipotis

Proto-Italic *hostipotis

Latin hospes

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin hospitālis

Old French ostel

Middle French hostel

French hôtelbor.

English hotel

blend

English motelbor.

Polish motel

Borrowed from English motel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɔ.tɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔtɛl
• Syllabification: mo‧tel

Noun

motel m inan (diminutive motelik, related adjective motelowy)

1. motel

Declension

Declension of motel

	singular	plural
nominative	motel	motele
genitive	motelu	moteli/motelów
dative	motelowi	motelom
accusative	motel	motele
instrumental	motelem	motelami
locative	motelu	motelach
vocative	motelu	motele

Further reading

• “motel”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[1] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “motel”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[2] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti

Proto-Italic *moweō

Latin moveō

Proto-Indo-European *-tōr

Proto-Italic *-tōr

Latin -tor

Latin mōtorder.

Middle English motour

English motor

Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis

Proto-Indo-European *pótis

Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstipotis

Proto-Italic *hostipotis

Latin hospes

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin hospitālis

Old French ostel

Middle French hostel

French hôtelbor.

English hotel

blend

English motelbor.

Portuguese motel

Borrowed from English motel.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /moˈtɛw/ [moˈtɛʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mɔˈtɛl/ [mɔˈtɛɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mɔˈtɛl/ [mɔˈtɛɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /mɔˈtɛ.li/

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɛl, (Brazil) -ɛw
• Hyphenation: mo‧tel

Noun

motel m (plural motéis)

1. love hotel (short-stay hotel for sex)
   • 1999 October 11, Gabriel o Pensador, Lulu Santos, “Astronauta” (1:08 from the start), in Nádegas a Declarar, performed by Lulu Santos, Sony Music:

     Eu vou pro mundo da lua / Que é feito um motel / Aonde os deuses e deusas / Se abraçam e beijam no céu

     I'm going to the world of the moon / Which is like a motel / Where the gods and goddesses / Hug and kiss in the sky

Derived terms

• moteleiro

Further reading

• “motel”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “motel”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “motel”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “motel”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French motel, from English motel.

Noun

motel n (plural moteluri)

1. motel

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	motel	motelul	moteluri	motelurile
genitive-dative	motel	motelului	moteluri	motelurilor
vocative	motelule		motelurilor

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mǒteːl/
• Hyphenation: mo‧tel

Noun

mòtēl m inan (Cyrillic spelling мо̀те̄л)

1. motel

Declension

Declension of motel

	singular	plural
nominative	mòtēl	moteli
genitive	motéla	motela
dative	motelu	motelima
accusative	motel	motele
vocative	motele	moteli
locative	motelu	motelima
instrumental	motelom	motelima

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti

Proto-Italic *moweō

Latin moveō

Proto-Indo-European *-tōr

Proto-Italic *-tōr

Latin -tor

Latin mōtorder.

Middle English motour

English motor

Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis

Proto-Indo-European *pótis

Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstipotis

Proto-Italic *hostipotis

Latin hospes

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin hospitālis

Old French ostel

Middle French hostel

French hôtelbor.

English hotel

blend

English motelbor.

Spanish motel

Borrowed from English motel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /moˈtel/ [moˈt̪el]
  • Syllabification: mo‧tel
• IPA^(key): /mouˈtel/ [mou̯ˈt̪el]
• Rhymes: -el

Noun

motel m (plural moteles)

1. motel
2. (Mexico) brothel, whorehouse

Further reading

• “motel”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English motel or Spanish motel.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /moˈtel/ [moˈt̪ɛl]
• Rhymes: -el
• Syllabification: mo‧tel

Noun

motél (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜆᜒᜎ᜔)

1. motel
2. love hotel; no-tell motel
   • 2008, J. Luis Camacho, Dagta:

     Muli ko bang pahahabain ang puntong ito para hindi tumuloy sa dulo ng kuwento? Sa Cubao rin kami napunta sa mamahaling motel.

     Will I extend this part again so we don't reach the end of the story? We ended up in Cubao, in a classy love hotel.

Derived terms

• motmot

Related terms

• otel

See also

• biglang-liko

Further reading

• “motel”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018

Turkish

Noun

motel (definite accusative moteli, plural moteller)

1. motel

Declension

Declension of motel

singular plural nominative motel moteller definite accusative moteli motelleri dative motele motellere locative motelde motellerde ablative motelden motellerden genitive motelin motellerin Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular motelim motellerim 2nd singular motelin motellerin 3rd singular moteli motelleri 1st plural motelimiz motellerimiz 2nd plural moteliniz motelleriniz 3rd plural motelleri motelleri definite accusative singular plural 1st singular motelimi motellerimi 2nd singular motelini motellerini 3rd singular motelini motellerini 1st plural motelimizi motellerimizi 2nd plural motelinizi motellerinizi 3rd plural motellerini motellerini dative singular plural 1st singular motelime motellerime 2nd singular moteline motellerine 3rd singular moteline motellerine 1st plural motelimize motellerimize 2nd plural motelinize motellerinize 3rd plural motellerine motellerine locative singular plural 1st singular motelimde motellerimde 2nd singular motelinde motellerinde 3rd singular motelinde motellerinde 1st plural motelimizde motellerimizde 2nd plural motelinizde motellerinizde 3rd plural motellerinde motellerinde ablative singular plural 1st singular motelimden motellerimden 2nd singular motelinden motellerinden 3rd singular motelinden motellerinden 1st plural motelimizden motellerimizden 2nd plural motelinizden motellerinizden 3rd plural motellerinden motellerinden genitive singular plural 1st singular motelimin motellerimin 2nd singular motelinin motellerinin 3rd singular motelinin motellerinin 1st plural motelimizin motellerimizin 2nd plural motelinizin motellerinizin 3rd plural motellerinin motellerinin