cinturón de asteroides
/θintuˌɾon de asteˈɾoides/masculine
The English phrase "asteroid belt" is translated into Spanish as cinturón de asteroides.
cinturón de asteroides is the name used to refer to the specific region of the solar system containing asteroids.
Meaning: region of the solar system (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The word cinturón literally means "belt".
How does it change in a sentence?
Since cinturón is a masculine noun, the definite article used is el rather than la. To make the phrase plural, you pluralize the head noun cinturón to cinturones while keeping de asteroides unchanged, resulting in los cinturones de asteroides.
How do you pronounce it?
/θintuˌɾon de asteˈɾoides/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, cinturón is used for both a fashion accessory and a 'seat belt' cinturón de seguridad. This versatility makes it the natural choice for describing the orbital ring of the solar system.
- The word cinturón is formed by adding the suffix -ón to cintura, which typically functions as an augmentative to indicate something larger or more significant than a standard 'waist'.
- In Spanish, the noun cinturón is masculine, whereas the related anatomical part cintura (waist) is a feminine noun.
Examples in context
- El cinturón de asteroides es una región del sistema solar que se encuentra entre las órbitas de Marte y Júpiter.The asteroid belt is a region of the solar system that is located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
- El cinturón de asteroides está entre Marte y Júpiter.The asteroid belt is between Mars and Jupiter.
- Muchos objetos flotan en el cinturón de asteroides.Many objects float in the asteroid belt.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are looking at a science book in a library.
- Mateo¿Dónde está el cinturón de asteroides?Where is the asteroid belt?
- ElenaEstá justo después de la órbita de Marte.It is right after Mars' orbit.
- MateoEs una zona fascinante para estudiar.It is a fascinating area to study.
- ElenaSí, la astronomía es increíble.Yes, astronomy is incredible.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “asteroid belt” translations and entries cinturón de asteroides, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cinturón, de, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
