madera de cedro
/madeɾa de θedɾo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "cedarwood" is translated into Spanish as madera de cedro.
What does it mean word for word?
This is a literal construction where madera means wood and de cedro means of cedar.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the term madera de cedro is commonly used. In Spain, the term cedro rojo can be used to refer to a specific type of cedarwood.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun madera is feminine, so if you use an adjective to describe the wood, it must be feminine (e.g., madera de cedro aromática).
How do you pronounce it?
/madeɾa de θedɾo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, madera can describe someone's innate character or talent. If you have madera de líder, you have the 'wood' or raw material to be a leader.
- The Latin root for madera also gave rise to the name of the Portuguese island 'Madeira', which literally translates to 'wood' because of the island's former abundance of timber.
- While madera refers to wood as a material, the word leña is used specifically for wood intended for fuel. You would not call madera de cedro leña unless you were planning to burn it.
Examples in context
- Esta caja es de madera de cedro.This box is made of cedarwood.
- Me gusta el aroma de la madera de cedro.I like the scent of cedarwood.
- El mueble tiene un acabado de madera de cedro.The piece of furniture has a cedarwood finish.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are looking at furniture in a shop.
- Alejandro¿De qué material es este armario?What material is this wardrobe made of?
- LucíaEs de madera de cedro de alta calidad.It is made of high-quality cedarwood.
- AlejandroLa madera de cedro es muy resistente.Cedarwood is very resistant.
- LucíaSí, y también huele muy bien.Yes, and it also smells very good.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cedro, de, madera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
