trueque
/ˈtɾweke/
The English phrase 'barter' translates to Spanish as trueque.
The word refers to the exchange of goods or services without using money. It can function as both a noun meaning 'the exchange' and as the root for the verb meaning 'to barter'.
Meaning: exchange goods or services without involving money (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
The informal verb truequear is mainly used in Argentina and several other South American countries.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of bartering, you can use the verb form truequear.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtɾweke/
Did you know?
- The noun trueque shares an ancestor with the English word 'truck', as in the archaic verb 'to truck' meaning to exchange or barter.
- In modern Argentina, trueque became a symbol of survival during the 2001 economic crisis when people created 'barter networks' to trade food and services.
- While trueque refers to a fair swap, the word cambalache describes a barter where the items are of unequal value or the process is chaotic.
Examples in context
- El trueque, sin embargo, fue un sistema muy insatisfactorio dado que las necesidades de la gente rara vez coincidían exactamente.Barter, however, was a very unsatisfactory system because people's needs seldom matched exactly.This sentence is useful for discussing the historical limitations of the trueque system.Tatoeba #721597 by darinmex, translation #53511 by Zifre
- Voy a intercambiar mi bicicleta por tu libroI'm going to barter my bicycle for your book.
- Quiero truequear mi camisa por tu sombreroI want to barter my shirt for your hat.
- ¿Te interesaría intercambiar tu reloj por mi cartera?Would you be interested in bartering your watch for my wallet?
- Prefiero el trueque antes que comprar todo en la tienda.I prefer bartering over buying everything at the store.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are discussing a local community market.
- Javier¿Crees que el trueque sea común en este mercado?Do you think bartering is common in this market?
- LucíaSí, mucha gente usa el trueque para conseguir cosas.Yes, many people use bartering to get things.
- JavierEso suena muy interesante para ahorrar dinero.That sounds very interesting for saving money.
- LucíaExacto, es una forma de ayuda mutua.Exactly, it is a way of mutual aid.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry trueque, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries trueque, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
