rizado
/riˈθado/
The English word 'curling' is translated as rizado in Spanish.
When you want to refer to the winter sport where players slide stones down a sheet of ice, you should use the masculine noun el curling.
Meaning: winter sport where players aim and slide stones down a sheet of ice (noun)
Which one should you use?
While rizado is a general adjective describing something that is curly, el curling is the specific term used to name the winter sport.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term permanente is used primarily in Spain and certain Latin American countries to refer to a hair perm. In some Latin American countries, the word chinos is used to refer to curls or curly hair.
How do you pronounce it?
/riˈθado/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the adjective rizado (meaning curly or curled) to refer to the sport of curling. Instead, always use the term el curling when discussing the sport.
Did you know?
- In Mexico and some parts of Central America, the word chinos is used to describe curly hair instead of rizado. This comes from a historical association with the physical traits of people from Asia.
- The word rizado comes from the verb rizar, which can also mean 'to ripple' when describing the surface of water. This creates a linguistic link between the shape of hair and the movement of a lake.
- In Spanish, sports adopted from English like el curling are almost universally assigned the masculine gender regardless of their original English nature.
Examples in context
- Para lograr rizos perfectos, utiliza una tenacilla.To achieve perfect curls, use a curling iron.
- Voy a enrollar un alambre alrededor del lápiz para hacer rizos artificiales.I'm going to wrap wire around the pencil to create artificial curls.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing winter sports.
- María¿Has probado alguna vez el rizado, Alejandro?Have you ever tried curling, Alejandro?
- AlejandroNo, pero me parece divertido.No, but it seems fun to me.
- MaríaEs un deporte muy preciso.It is a very precise sport.
- AlejandroQuizás deberíamos intentar jugar al rizado.Maybe we should try playing curling.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry rizado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
