orejas
/oɾexas/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase for ears is orejas.
The word orejas refers to the external, visible parts of the body used for hearing.
Which one should you use?
While orejas refers to the external part of the ear, the word oído is used to refer to the sense of hearing or the internal ear. For the outer part of the ears specifically, you may use pabellones auditivos.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of orejas is oreja.
How do you pronounce it?
/oɾexas/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes use oreja when they actually mean the sense of hearing. In Spanish, you should use oído for concepts like hearing loss (pérdida de oído).
Did you know?
- In Spain, orejas refers to a traditional fried pastry shaped like an ear that is commonly eaten during Carnival.
- In some Latin American countries, the term oreja is used colloquially to refer to the handle of a pot or a cup.
- If you want to say someone is 'all ears', you would not use a literal translation involving 'orejas', but would instead say 'estar atento'.
Examples in context
- Me duelen las orejas.My ears hurt.This sentence is useful for expressing physical pain in the orejas.Tatoeba #945387 by hayastan, translation #1293141 by CK
- Me perforé las orejas.I got my ears pierced.This sentence is useful for describing the act of having one's orejas pierced.Tatoeba #2477267 by marcelostockle, translation #2396095 by CK
- ¿Sabes mover las orejas?Can you move your ears?This sentence is useful for asking about the ability to move one's orejas.Tatoeba #11682975 by Seael, translation #6741746 by Hybrid
- El médico examinó mi conducto auditivo y me dijo que todo estaba bien.The doctor examined my ear canal and told me everything was fine.
- Mis pabellones auditivos se enrojecieron bajo el sol caliente de verano.My outer ears turned red under the hot summer sun.
- 57 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are looking at a cute puppy.
- MaríaMira esas orejas tan largas.Look at those long ears.
- MateoSí, son muy suaves.Yes, they are very soft.
- MaríaParece que tiene las orejas de un conejo.It looks like it has the ears of a rabbit.
- MateoEs un cachorro muy gracioso.It is a very funny puppy.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
