Spanish flag

Campo vs. prado vs. pradera vs. vega

Word practice demo
In Spanish, various words are used to describe landscapes such as field, meadow, and so on. While they have similar connotations, campo, prado, pradera, and vega each have unique nuances.

Campo

A1
A broad term generally associated with the countryside or rural area that may contain farmland, hills, forests. It is not specifically a field or meadow, it's just a non-urban area.
Vamos a pasar el fin de semana al campo.
(We are going to spend the weekend in the countryside.)

Prado

A2
Refers to a meadow or pastureland, typically green and often used for grazing by cattle or other livestock.
Las ovejas están en el prado.
(The sheep are in the meadow.)

Pradera

B1
Resembles prado, but it's usually larger and not necessarily for grazing animals. It could be simply a large lie of open grassland.
La pradera se extiende hasta donde alcanza la vista.
(The prairie stretches as far as the eye can see.)

Vega

B2
Vega usually refers to fertile lowlands, often near a river. These lands are typically lush and ideal for farming.
La vega del río es perfecta para cultivar verduras.
(The river's lowland is perfect for growing vegetables.)

Summary

Campo, prado, pradera, and vega all describe different aspects of rural landscapes in Spanish. While all can be loosely translated as field or meadow in English, each word provides a more specific picture of the landscape being described.