árbol de levas
/ˌaɾbol de ˈlebas/masculine
The English word 'camshaft' is translated into Spanish as árbol de levas.
The term refers to a shaft fitted with cams.
Meaning: a shaft fitted with cams (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase árbol de levas literally translates to 'tree of cams', where árbol means tree and levas means cams.
Which one should you use?
While árbol de levas is the standard, you may also encounter the synonyms eje de levas and flecha de levas.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In most Latin American countries, árbol de levas and eje de levas are the preferred formal terms. In Spain, árbol de distribución is occasionally used, particularly when referring to overhead camshafts (OHC).
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, only the word árbol changes to árboles. The phrase de levas remains the same, resulting in los árboles de levas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌaɾbol de ˈlebas/
Did you know?
- The Spanish term árbol de levas describes the part as a 'tree' because of the way branches or cams extend from a central axis.
- The word árbol comes from the Latin 'arbor', making it a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'arbor' used in gardening and architecture.
- In Spanish mechanical terminology, the word árbol is used for various rotating shafts, not just camshafts, treating the shaft as the 'trunk' of the mechanism.
Examples in context
- ¿El mecánico revisó el árbol de levas del motor?Did the mechanic check the camshaft of the engine?
- Necesito reemplazar el eje de levas de mi automóvil.I need to replace the camshaft of my car.
- El árbol de levas está desgastado.The camshaft is worn out.
- El árbol de levas está dañado.The camshaft is damaged.
- Necesitamos cambiar el árbol de levas.We need to change the camshaft.
- El mecánico revisó el árbol de levas.The mechanic checked the camshaft.
Example conversation
A mechanic's shop where Lucía is asking Alejandro about her car.
- Lucía¿Qué le pasa a mi coche, Alejandro?What is wrong with my car, Alejandro?
- AlejandroEl problema es el árbol de levas.The problem is the camshaft.
- Lucía¿Es una reparación muy cara?Is it a very expensive repair?
- AlejandroNo te preocupes, te daré un buen precio.Don't worry, I will give you a good price.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “camshaft” translations and entries árbol de levas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, árbol, CC BY-SA 4.0.
