abeja
Mexico
In Mexico a bee is an abeja. The word is feminine, and honey is miel. A beehive is colmena and a beekeeper is apicultor.
A bee sting is una picadura de abeja. The word for a wasp is avispa, and Mexicans keep the two apart.
Meaning: honey insect (noun)
When do people say it?
In the Yucatán Peninsula, Maya communities keep stingless bees for honey, a tradition that goes back centuries.
Did you know?
- Spanish speakers use ser una abeja to say someone is hardworking, like "busy as a bee".
Examples in context
- Una abeja me picó.A bee stung me.
- Las abejas hacen miel.Bees make honey.
- Mi tío tiene una colmena.My uncle has a beehive.
Example conversation
Rosa and her grandfather watch bees in the garden.
- RosaAbuelo, ¿las abejas pican?Grandpa, do bees sting?
- AbueloSolo si se asustan.Only if they get scared.
- RosaEntonces las miro de lejos.Then I will watch them from afar.
