Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pendiente | /penˈdjente/ | Spain, masculine |
| arete | /aˈɾete/ | Latin America, masculine |
| aro | /ˈaɾo/ | Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, masculine |
| caravana | /kaɾaˈbana/ | Uruguay, feminine |
| chapa | /ˈt͡ʃapa/ | Nicaragua, feminine |
| pantalla | /panˈtaʝa/ | Puerto Rico, feminine |
| zarcillo | /θaɾˈθiʝo/ | Canary Islands, Southern, Spain, Venezuela, masculine, rare |
The term used for a piece of jewelry worn in the ear varies significantly depending on the region and the specific style of the jewelry.
Which one should you use?
While aro can refer to any earring in certain regions, it literally means 'hoop' and is often used specifically for hoop-style earrings. In Spain, pendiente is the standard and most common term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Arete is the most widely used term across much of Latin America. In specific areas, you may encounter other terms: aro is used in Argentina, Chile and Paraguay. caravana is used in Uruguay. chapa is used in Nicaragua. pantalla is used in Puerto Rico. And zarcillo is a rare masculine term used in Venezuela and the Canary Islands of Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the masculine pendiente is pendientes, and the plural form of the masculine arete is aretes.
How do you pronounce it?
/penˈdjente/
Did you know?
- The term caravana comes from the Persian word kârvân, traveling through French before entering the Spanish vocabulary for jewelry in specific regions.
- If you are in Puerto Rico, you might hear someone call an earring a pantalla, a word that usually refers to a 'screen'.
- The word pendiente is a homonym that can also mean 'pending' or 'sloping'. In a jewelry context, it shares a root with the idea of something that hangs or dangles.
Examples in context
- Yo perdí un arete.I lost an earring.This sentence is useful for expressing the loss of an arete.Tatoeba #3865918 by cueyayotl, translation #1887545 by CK
- ¿Dónde está tu otro pendiente?Where's your other earring?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of a pendiente.Tatoeba #11742000 by Seael, translation #4016101 by CK
- La novia lucía unos aros de oro en su boda.The bride wore gold hoop earrings at her wedding.
- ¿Dónde compraste esos aretes tan bonitos?Where did you buy those beautiful earrings?
- Me encantan tus arracadas, ¡son únicas!I love your hoop earrings, they're unique!
- Le regalé unos aritos de plata por su cumpleaños.I gifted her some silver earrings for her birthday.
- Ella lleva unos zarcillos espectaculares para la ocasión.She is wearing spectacular earrings for the occasion.
- Este pendiente es de oro.This earring is made of gold.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía is looking for her jewelry in the living room.
- JavierLucía, ¿has visto mi pendiente?Lucía, have you seen my earring?
- LucíaNo, no lo he visto, Javier.No, I haven't seen it, Javier.
- JavierCreo que se me cayó al suelo.I think I dropped it on the floor.
- LucíaDéjame ayudarte a buscarlo.Let me help you look for it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “earring” translations and entries pendiente, arete, aro, caravana, chapa, pantalla, zarcillo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries arete, aro, caravana, chapa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
