orejas
outer ears
Spanish uses two words. The outer ears you can see are orejas, and oídos are the ears as the organ of hearing. Mexican Spanish follows the same rule. It is also called orejita.
Meaning: organs of hearing (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| orejas | outer ears |
| oídos | hearing, inner ear |
| orejita | diminutive |
Say me duelen los oídos for an earache and me jalaron las orejas for having your outer ears pulled. Earrings go on the orejas.
Which one should you use?
A single ear is oreja for the outside and oído for the inside. A phrase like tener buen oído means to be good at hearing sounds or music.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both words are plural when you speak of the pair, so las orejas and los oídos. Their genders are different, feminine and masculine.
Did you know?
- The saying ser todo oídos means to be listening with full attention.
Examples in context
- Me duelen los oídos.My ears hurt.
- Tiene las orejas muy grandes.He has very big ears.
- Me puse aretes en las orejas.I put earrings on my ears.
Example conversation
Dr. Salazar checks a young patient named Memo at a clinic in Toluca.
- Salazar¿Qué te duele, Memo?What hurts, Memo?
- MemoMe duelen los oídos desde ayer.My ears have hurt since yesterday.
- SalazarDéjame revisarte las orejas.Let me check your ears.
