bandeja
/banˈdexa/
The English phrase 'lay up' is translated into Spanish as bandeja.
In the context of basketball, bandeja refers to a shot made by jumping close to the basket and letting the ball roll off the backboard. You can use the phrase practicar entradas to mean 'to practice lay ups', and to express the action of performing the shot, you should use the verb hacer with the noun, as in hacer una bandeja (to make a lay up).
What does it mean word for word?
The term bandeja literally means 'tray' in English.
How do you pronounce it?
/banˈdexa/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word bandeja is used for the same move in other sports, such as pelota vasca, where the player hits the ball with a flat, tray-like motion.
- The word bandeja is a linguistic relative of the English word 'bind', as both trace back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to tie' or 'to join'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, sports commentators may use the phrase entrar a canasta to describe the act of performing a lay up, focusing on the player 'entering' the basket area.
Examples in context
- Hizo una bandeja muy suave.He made a very soft lay up.
- Practica tu bandeja después del entrenamiento.Practice your lay up after practice.
- La bandeja fue la clave de la victoria.The lay up was the key to the victory.
Example conversation
Two friends are practicing basketball at a local park.
- MaríaJavier, ¿puedes enseñarme a hacer una bandeja?Javier, can you teach me how to do a lay up?
- JavierClaro, María, solo salta cerca del tablero.Sure, María, just jump close to the backboard.
- María¡Mira! Acabo de hacer una bandeja.Look! I just made a lay up.
- Javier¡Muy bien hecho, María!Very well done, María!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bandeja, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bandeja, CC BY-SA 4.0.
