Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pertrecho | /peɾˈtɾet͡ʃo/ | masculine |
| pertrechos | /peɾtɾet͡ʃos/ (from spelling rules) | masculine, plural |
| aparejo | /apaˈɾexo/ | masculine |
| apero | /aˈpeɾo/ | masculine |
| enseres | /enˈseɾes/ | masculine, plural |
| macundales | /makundales/ (from spelling rules) | masculine, plural |
| tereques | /teɾekes/ (from spelling rules) | masculine, plural |
| tarecos | /taɾekos/ (from spelling rules) | masculine, plural |
The term gear in English can refer to many different types of equipment, and Spanish uses specific words depending on what kind of gear you mean. If you are talking about supplies or equipment for a specific mission or campaign, use the plural form pertrechos.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the context of the gear: pertrechos refers to mission-specific supplies, while enseres is used specifically for household goods or personal belongings. If you mean gear in the sense of fishing tackle or mechanical rigging/machinery, use aparejo. The word apero is also a masculine form for gear. To refer to one's belongings or gear in a general sense, you can use tarecos or tereques.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you want to refer to your gear or belongings colloquially, as if saying 'stuff' or 'things', use macundales.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word macundales is used colloquially in several Latin American countries to refer to gear or belongings.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word enseres is a plural-only noun and is almost always used in its plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾˈtɾetʃo/
Did you know?
- The term apero shares an ancient root with the English word 'parity', both stemming from the Latin 'pār', meaning 'equal'.
- The terms tereques and tarecos are often used to describe gear that is outdated, useless, or consists of miscellaneous trinkets.
- The word enseres is a 'plurale tantum', meaning it is a noun that only exists in the plural form.
Examples in context
- Necesito comprar nuevo equipo de camping para nuestra expedición.I need to buy new camping gear for our expedition.
- El equipo de pesca de mi padre es muy completo.My father's fishing gear is very complete.
- La tienda de deportes tiene un gran surtido de equipos.The sports store has a wide variety of gear.
- El artilugio que compré me ha facilitado mucho el trabajo.The gear I bought has made my work much easier.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are preparing for a trip.
- Elena¿Tienes todo el pertrecho listo, Mateo?Do you have all the gear ready, Mateo?
- MateoSí, ya puse todo en el coche.Yes, I already put everything in the car.
- ElenaPerfecto, no queremos olvidar nada.Perfect, we don't want to forget anything.
- MateoNo te preocupes, el pertrecho está completo.Don't worry, the gear is complete.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gear” translations and entries pertrecho, pertrechos, aparejo, apero, enseres, macundales, 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 aparejo, apero, pertrecho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
