rayuela
/raˈʝwela/Argentina, Spain, feminine
The English word hopscotch is translated as rayuela in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists avión and bebelechi.
Meaning: child's game (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| rayuela | /raˈʝwela/ | Argentina, Spain, feminine |
| avión | /aˈbjon/ | masculine |
| bebelechi | /bebelet͡ʃi/ (from spelling rules) | Mexico, masculine |
| luche | /ˈlut͡ʃe/ | Chile, masculine |
| peregrina | /peɾeˈɡɾina/ | feminine |
| infernáculo | /infeɾˈnakulo/ | masculine |
| coxcojita | /koxkoˈxita/ | feminine |
| coroneja | /koɾonexa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| teje | /ˈtexe/ | Canary Islands, masculine |
| tejo | /ˈtexo/ | masculine |
Which one should you use?
The forms vary significantly by gender and region. rayuela and peregrina are feminine nouns, while avión, bebelechi, luche, infernáculo, tejo are masculine. Note that coroneja is feminine.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain and Argentina, rayuela is used. In Mexico, you may hear avión or bebelechi. In Colombia and some parts of Central America, el avión is the regional variation. In Chile, the term is luche. In the Canary Islands, tejo is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
rayuela is a feminine noun and is typically used with the definite article la. avión is a masculine noun and is typically used with the definite article el.
How do you pronounce it?
/raˈʝwela/
Did you know?
- The term rayuela is the title of a world-famous 1963 novel by Argentine author Julio Cortázar, which uses the structure of the game as a metaphor for reading the book.
- The term peregrina means 'pilgrim' or 'wanderer', suggesting the player's journey across the court is like a pilgrimage.
- While the English name refers to the act of 'scotching' or jumping, the Spanish rayuela derives from the word for 'line' because the game is played within a drawn grid.
Examples in context
- Mary jugó a la rayuela.Mary played hopscotch.This sentence is useful for describing someone playing rayuela.Tatoeba #7974794 by Seael, translation #4397382 by Lepotdeterre
- Los juegos infantiles que especialmente me gustaron fueron las sillas musicales, él corre que te pillo, el escondite, el quemado, la cuerda de saltar china y la rayuela.The children's games that I especially loved were musical chairs, tag, hide-and-go-seek, dodgeball, Chinese jump rope, and hopscotch.This sentence lists several children's games, including rayuela.Tatoeba #5059562 by albrusgher, translation #2807206 by AlanF_US
- Los niños juegan a la rayuela en el parque.The children play hopscotch in the park.
- Mis primos juegan al goloso en el patio trasero.My cousins play hopscotch in the backyard.
- En mi barrio, jugamos mucho al avión durante el recreo.In my neighborhood, we play hopscotch a lot during recess.
- Dibujamos una rayuela con tiza en la calle.We drew a hopscotch grid with chalk on the street.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two children are playing in a park.
- SofíaDaniel, ¿quieres jugar a la rayuela conmigo?Daniel, do you want to play hopscotch with me?
- DanielSí, pero yo tiro la piedra primero.Yes, but I throw the stone first.
- SofíaEstá bien, empieza tú entonces.That's fine, you start then.
- Daniel¡Mira! Mi piedra cayó en el número cinco.Look! My stone landed on number five.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hopscotch” translations and entries rayuela, avión, bebelechi, luche, peregrina, infernáculo, coxcojita, coroneja, teje, tejo, 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 avión, rayuela, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
