espiga
/esˈpiɡa/
In Spanish, herringbone pattern is espiga.
The term is used to describe a V-shaped weave or arrangement of lines often used in fabrics and flooring. To say 'herringbone pattern' specifically, you can use patrón de espiga or diseño de espiga.
What does it mean word for word?
The word espiga literally means 'spike', 'ear of grain' or 'grain stalk', which refers to the V-shape of the pattern.
Which one should you use?
The term espina de pez is also frequently used to describe a herringbone pattern, literally translating to 'fishbone'.
How do you pronounce it?
/esˈpiɡa/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking countries, the term espiga is used colloquially to describe a person who is very tall and thin, much like a stalk of grain.
- The word espiga is also used in Spanish to describe a specific style of hair braiding that resembles the V-shaped weave.
- The Spanish language has a specific verb, espigar, which means to harvest ears of corn or wheat by hand.
Examples in context
- El suéter que me compré tiene un patrón de espina de pez muy elegante.The sweater I bought has a very elegant herringbone pattern.
- Suelo de espigaHerringbone floor
- El suelo tiene un diseño de espiga.The floor has a herringbone pattern.
- Me gusta mucho este tejido de espiga.I really like this herringbone weave.
- Esa alfombra es de espiga.That rug has a herringbone pattern.
Example conversation
Javier and María are looking at flooring samples in a store.
- Javier¿Qué te parece este modelo de espiga?What do you think of this herringbone pattern model?
- MaríaEs muy elegante, Javier.It is very elegant, Javier.
- JavierLa combinación de colores es perfecta.The color combination is perfect.
- MaríaSí, quedará muy bien en el salón.Yes, it will look very good in the living room.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry espiga, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
