Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| áloe | /ˈaloe/ | masculine |
| aloe | /aˈloe/ | masculine, alternative form |
| acíbar | /aˈθibaɾ/ /aˈsibaɾ/ |
masculine |
| alcíbar | /alθibaɾ/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /alsibaɾ/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| lináloe | /linaloe/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| lignáloe (desus.) | masculine | |
| azabara | /aθabaɾa/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /asabaɾa/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| zabila | /θabila/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /sabila/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| zábila | /θabila/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /sabila/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| zabida | /θabida/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /sabida/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| sábila | /ˈsabila/ | feminine |
| sávila | /ˈsabila/ | feminine, alternative form |
The term refers to plants belonging to the genus Aloe. In daily life, especially regarding medicine or skincare, people frequently use the term sábila to refer specifically to the Aloe vera plant.
Which one should you use?
While áloe is a general term for the entire genus, sábila is the much more common way to refer to the specific Aloe vera plant used in cosmetics and medicine. Other terms include the masculine acíbar, alcíbar and lináloe, as well as several feminine variants such as azabara, zabila, zábila, zabida and sábila. The spelling aloe is an alternative to áloe. The term lignáloe is now considered obsolete.
How does it change in a sentence?
The most common form, sábila, is a feminine noun and requires feminine articles like la or una. Other forms like áloe, acíbar, alcíbar and lináloe are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈaloe/
Did you know?
- The common Spanish word sábila is actually a distant relative of the word 'patience' in Arabic, as it stems from the same root as acíbar.
Examples in context
- ¿Tienes sábila en casa? Me quemé y necesito algo para aliviar la piel.Do you have aloe at home? I got burned and need something to soothe my skin.
- ¿Tienes aloe vera en tu casa? Me quemé bajo el sol y necesito algo para aliviar la piel.Do you have aloe vera at home? I got sunburned and need something to soothe my skin.
- ¿Tienes aloe en tu casa? Me quemé en la playa y necesito algo para aliviar la piel.Do you have aloe at home? I got burned at the beach and need something to soothe my skin.
- ¿Puedes recomendarme una buena marca de productos de sábila?Can you recommend a good brand of aloe-based products?
- El áloe es bueno para la piel.The aloe is good for the skin.
- Tengo un áloe pequeño en mi ventana.I have a small aloe in my window.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are in a garden.
- JavierMira, Lucía, este áloe crece muy rápido.Look, Lucía, this aloe grows very fast.
- LucíaEs verdad, Javier. ¿Podemos usarlo para la quemadura?It is true, Javier. Can we use it for the burn?
- JavierSí, el áloe calma mucho la irritación.Yes, aloe calms the irritation a lot.
- LucíaEntonces cortemos un trozo ahora mismo.Then let's cut a piece right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aloe” translations and entries áloe, aloe, acíbar, sábila, sávila, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries acíbar, áloe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
