Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cubo | /ˈkubo/ | masculine |
| balde | /ˈbalde/ | Canary Islands, Central, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Eastern, Puerto Rico, South America, masculine |
| cubeta | /kuˈbeta/ | Guatemala, Mexico, masculine |
| pozal | /poˈθal/ /poˈsal/ |
masculine |
| tobo | /ˈtobo/ | Venezuela, masculine |
The word refers to a container used for carrying liquids. Related idiomatic expressions such as llover a cántaros or jarrear can be used to express the English idea of raining heavily, or "raining buckets."
Which one should you use?
While cubo is the standard term for a bucket, it can also mean 'cube' in many contexts. Other forms are used depending on the specific item or region.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations for bucket include: balde is used in the Canary Islands, Central America, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Eastern Caribbean, Puerto Rico and South America. cubeta is frequent in Guatemala and Mexico. tobo is commonly used in Venezuela. And pozal is also a form used for a bucket.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms of the word provided are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkubo/
Did you know?
- The word cubo comes from the Ancient Greek word kúbos, which referred to a die or a cube.
- Depending on the country, using tobo instead of balde can immediately signal that the speaker is from Venezuela.
Examples in context
- Vertí agua en el balde.I poured water into the bucket.This sentence demonstrates the use of balde.Tatoeba #1279627 by marcelostockle, translation #255384 by CK
- No hay agua en el cubo.There's no water in the bucket.This sentence demonstrates the use of cubo.Tatoeba #10124671 by manufrutos, translation #5231047 by CK
- Llena el balde con agua.Fill the bucket with water.Tatoeba #1279601 by marcelostockle, translation #35471 by CK
- Por favor, pásame el cuboPlease, pass me the bucket
- Puedes llenar la cubeta con agua, por favorCould you fill up the bucket with water, please?
- La cubeta de los helados está vacía, vamos a comprar másThe ice cream bucket is empty, let's go buy more
- Necesito que me prestes tu cubo para lavar el cocheI need you to lend me your bucket to wash the car
- 61 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are cleaning a patio.
- AlejandroNecesito un cubo para limpiar el suelo.I need a bucket to clean the floor.
- LucíaEl cubo azul está en el garaje.The blue bucket is in the garage.
- Alejandro¿Puedes traerlo tú, Lucía?Can you bring it, Lucía?
- LucíaSí, ahora mismo lo traigo.Yes, I'll bring it right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bucket” translations and entries cubo, balde, cubeta, pozal, tobo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries balde, cubeta, cubo, pozal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
