8 Spanish Words with Multiple Meanings

Do you remember learning about words in English that mean different things based on the context? For example, “bat” could mean a flying animal that’s active at night, or the type of baseball equipment. Believe it or not, Spanish has words like this as well! In Spanish, there are some words that can take on multiple meanings. Sometimes meaning can vary based on the country, but others depend on the context. Keep reading to learn more!

Words with multiple meanings in different countries

Depending on where in the world you are, these terms can have very different slang meanings. You might think you know what they mean, but when you read the descriptions, you’ll see just how much variation there can be.

• Torta- Эта фраза может меняться в зависимости от country or region you hear it. In Spain, it can refer to a delicious cake served at a birthday party. In the same country, it could also mean a slap in the face! As you go to other areas of Spain, it could mean a flat bread. Moving to Mexico, it’s a common word for a sandwich on a special bread called telera.
• Fresa- Возможно, ты встречал это слово в качестве ароматизатора или ингредиента. Во многих странах оно означает strawberry. However, in Mexico, if you hear someone called a fresaЭто негативный термин, означающий, что они поверхностны, пресыщены и богаты.
• Mona– You might hear this word to describe a pretty girl in Spain, or a blonde or white woman in Colombia. In Venezuela, you might hear it to describe a girl that’s full of herself. If you look in the dictionary, it also means a female monkey!
• Taco- Да, в разных странах это имеет разные значения! Возможно, ты попробовал вкусный taco, the Mexican food. Have you ever been in a taco in Chile or Colombia? You would have been in a traffic jam.
• Machete- Хотя ты можешь знать это как инструмент, например, в Чили или Коста-Рике, в других местах оно означает нечто совсем другое. В Аргентине или Колумбии это шпаргалка для теста. В Боливии или Перу это может быть чей-то парень.

More common words with different meanings

Read moreVideo: Spanish-English false friends

В отличие от слов из предыдущего раздела, эти не зависят от страны или региона. Это просто слова, которые звучат и выглядят одинаково, но имеют разное значение. Давай посмотрим:

• Vino- Это может быть вкусный напиток для взрослых, wine, or it could be the past tense verb came. To say someone came over for wine, you would say Vino para vino.
• Traje- Это слово означает. suit as a noun, or I brought as a verb. Traje mi traje means I brought my suit.
• Cura- Означает, что оба priest and cure, you definitely want to use context clues if someone is asking for a cura.

Hopefully you learned something new with these words with multiple meanings. There are many more to discover!