cable
/ˈkable/masculine
The Spanish word for 'cable' is cable.
cable refers to an assembly of wires used for electricity. For more technical or specific descriptions, you might use related terms: Cableado refers to the act of cabling or the wiring infrastructure itself, while Haz de cables can be used to refer to a cable bundle or a cable harness.
Meaning: assembly of wires for electricity (noun)
Which one should you use?
While cable is the standard term, you can use the diminutive cablecito to refer to a small or thin cable.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Colombia, the term alambre is sometimes used in informal contexts to refer to an electrical cable.
How does it change in a sentence?
cable is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkable/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish speaking countries, the term cable is used colloquially to describe a person's mental state, such as saying someone has a cable suelto when they act erratically.
- While cable is used for electrical wires, the word cuerda is used for a rope, even though in English 'cable' can describe both thick metal wires and heavy nautical ropes.
- The French origin of the word means it entered the Spanish language via the French word câble.
Examples in context
- Necesito un cable USB nuevo.I need a new USB cable.This sentence shows how to express the need for a new USB cable.Tatoeba #1324745 by hayastan, translation #1324756 by marcelostockle
- La camisa del cable es de plástico.The cable sleeve is made of plastic.This sentence is useful for describing the material of a cable sleeve.Tatoeba #7645421 by arh, translation #9193509 by DJ_Saidez
- Desconecte el cable de poder del modem, espere aproximadamente un minuto, luego vuelva a conectar el cable.Disconnect the power cable from the modem, wait for approximately one minute, then reconnect the cable.This sentence demonstrates how to give instructions regarding disconnecting and reconnecting a power cable.Tatoeba #1535176 by marcelostockle, translation #1531128 by erikspen
- Necesito comprar un cable HDMI para conectar mi computadora a la televisión.I need to buy an HDMI cable to connect my computer to the television.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are organizing the electronics in the living room.
- MateoSofía, ¿dónde está el cable del cargador?Sofía, where is the charger cable?
- SofíaCreo que el cable está en la cocina.I think the cable is in the kitchen.
- MateoNo lo veo, este cable es muy corto.I don't see it, this cable is too short.
- SofíaBusca el cable rojo detrás del sofá.Look for the red cable behind the sofa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cable” translations and entries cable, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cable, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
