taladro
/taˈladɾo/masculine
The English word drill is translated into Spanish as taladro. Wiktionary also lists taladradora and barrena.
Meaning: tool (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| taladro | /taˈladɾo/ | masculine |
| taladradora | /taladɾadoɾa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| barrena | /baˈrena/ | feminine |
The terms used to describe a drill in Spanish depend on whether you are referring to a common power tool, a specific type of manual boring tool or using technical terminology in professional environments.
Which one should you use?
taladro is the most common masculine noun used for a power drill or the tool itself. barrena refers more specifically to an auger or a manual drill bit/tool used for boring holes.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
taladro is a masculine noun. taladradora and barrena are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/taˈladɾo/
Did you know?
- The word barrena for an auger actually shares a linguistic ancestor with the word for a 'javelin', evolving from the Latin 'veru' which means a long spear.
- In Spanish, taladro can be used as a metaphor to describe a sound that is piercing or intensely irritating to the ears.
- While taladro is the standard term, the word barrena is often used in specific industries like cork harvesting or mining for specialized boring tools.
Examples in context
- Esto no es un taladro.This is not a drill.This sentence uses taladro to demonstrate a simple negation.Tatoeba #1419045 by marcelostockle, translation #1112681 by CC
- Estoy metiendo boche con este taladro.I am making noise with this drill.This sentence uses taladro while describing the noise made by the tool.Tatoeba #1726743 by marcelostockle, translation #1725214 by Amastan
- El canto de los pájaros de la zona es similar al sonido de un taladro.The singing of the local birds is akin to the sound of a drill.This sentence uses taladro to compare a sound to the tool.Tatoeba #1615034 by teskmon, translation #573921 by FeuDRenais2
- Compré un taladro nuevo para mejorar mi hogar.I bought a new drill to improve my home.
- El ingeniero utilizó una perforadora potente para hacer agujeros profundos.The engineer used a powerful drill to make deep holes.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are fixing a shelf in the living room.
- Alejandro¿Tienes el taladro a mano, Lucía?Do you have the drill handy, Lucía?
- LucíaSí, lo tengo aquí en la caja.Yes, I have it here in the box.
- AlejandroPerfecto, pásamelo por favor.Perfect, pass it to me please.
- LucíaTen cuidado, que el taladro hace mucho ruido.Be careful, the drill is very loud.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drill” translations and entries taladro, taladradora, barrena, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries barrena, taladro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
