parachoques
/paɾaˈt͡ʃokes/masculine
The English word 'bumper' is translated into Spanish as parachoques. Wiktionary also lists bómper and búmper.
Meaning: impact absorber on a vehicle (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| parachoques | /paɾaˈt͡ʃokes/ | masculine |
| bómper | /bompeɾ/ (from spelling rules) | Central America, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, masculine |
| búmper | /bumpeɾ/ (from spelling rules) | Costa Rica, Panama, masculine |
| defensa | /deˈfensa/ | Mexico, feminine |
| paragolpes | /paɾaɡolpes/ (from spelling rules) | Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, masculine |
| paragolpe | /paɾaɡolpe/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
This term refers to an impact absorber on a vehicle.
Which one should you use?
Paragolpe is the singular variant of paragolpes.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, defensa is commonly used. In Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, you will find paragolpes. The anglicism bómper is used in Colombia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and several Central American countries, while búmper is used in Costa Rica and Panama.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word parachoques is an invariable noun, which means it has the same form in both singular and plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/paɾaˈtʃokes/
Did you know?
- In some Caribbean countries, the anglicism bómper is used, but it can also be used in slang to refer to a person's buttocks.
- In Mexico, the word defensa for a bumper is the same word used for a 'defense' in a legal trial or a 'defender' in a football match.
- The term defensa is a doublet of the Spanish word dehesa, meaning a type of Mediterranean pastureland.
Examples in context
- El parachoques absorbió parte del impacto.The car bumper absorbed some of the impact.This sentence is useful for describing how the parachoques absorbed part of an impact.Tatoeba #10314658 by Seael, translation #34931 by CM
- Tendremos que cambiar el parachoques delantero.We will need to replace the front bumper.This sentence is useful for discussing the need to replace a front parachoques.Tatoeba #10314659 by Seael, translation #10161781 by ddnktr
- Mi hermano tuvo un accidente y dañó el paragolpes del autoMy brother had an accident and damaged the car's bumper
- El parachoques de mi coche está rayado.My car's bumper is scratched.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maria and Daniel are inspecting a car after a minor accident.
- MaríaMira, el parachoques está doblado.Look, the bumper is bent.
- DanielTienes razón, Daniel lo vio primero.You are right, Daniel saw it first.
- María¿Crees que sea caro arreglar el parachoques?Do you think it will be expensive to fix the bumper?
- DanielNo lo creo, es solo un golpe pequeño.I don't think so, it is just a small hit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bumper” translations and entries parachoques, defensa, paragolpes, 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 defensa, parachoques, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
