excavadora
/eɡskabaˈdoɾa/
The Spanish word for digger is excavadora.
The word excavadora refers to a tool or machine used for digging.
Meaning: tool for digging (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The noun excavadora is derived from the noun excavación, which means excavation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, particularly in Spain, Pala mecánica is used to refer to a digger. In Latin America, the term Retroexcavadora is used specifically to refer to a backhoe.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun excavadora is feminine, so any accompanying adjectives must also be in the feminine form. To form the plural, add -s to the end to get excavadoras.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɡskabaˈdoɾa/
Did you know?
- The suffix -adora in excavadora is used for many machines that perform a specific action, such as lavadora for a washing machine or aspiradora for a vacuum cleaner.
- In many Latin American regions, people use the prefix retro as a standalone noun to refer to a backhoe, shortening the technical term retroexcavadora.
- The word pala is used flexibly to describe both a small handheld shovel and the massive metal bucket of a heavy-duty excavadora.
Examples in context
- El talud se desplomó sobre la excavadora y casi la sepultó por completo.The slope collapsed on the digger and nearly buried it.This sentence shows the effect of a slope collapsing on an excavadora.Tatoeba #10187519 by Seael, translation #10473065 by DJ_Saidez
- En el sitio de construcción, la excavadora trabaja para cavar y mover tierra.At the construction site, the digger works to dig and move earth.
- El proyecto requiere la presencia de una máquina excavadora para realizar excavaciones precisas.The project requires the presence of a digger machine to carry out precise excavations.
- Mi hermano trabaja como excavador y disfruta mucho su trabajo.My brother works as a digger operator and enjoys his job a lot.
- Necesitamos una retroexcavadora para llevar a cabo las excavaciones en el terreno.We need a backhoe to carry out the excavations on the terrain.
- La pala mecánica es una herramienta esencial en la construcción de carreteras en esta región.The digger is an essential tool in road construction in this region.
- La excavadora está trabajando en la obra.The digger is working at the construction site.
- Necesitamos una excavadora para este proyecto.We need a digger for this project.
Example conversation
Javier and María are looking at a construction site.
- JavierMira esa excavadora amarilla.Look at that yellow digger.
- MaríaEs muy grande, Javier.It is very big, Javier.
- JavierEstán cavando un hoyo profundo.They are digging a deep hole.
- MaríaSí, la excavadora es muy rápida.Yes, the digger is very fast.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry excavadora, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
