micro
/ˈmikɾo/masculine
In Spanish, micro is a way to say microwave oven.
The term micro is used to refer to a microwave oven. It is an informal, shortened version of the standard noun microondas.
Meaning: microwave oven (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word micro is a shortened, informal form of the full, standard noun microondas. Both refer to a microwave oven.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
micro is an informal term. For standard or more formal contexts, use the full noun microondas. In scientific or technical contexts where you want to describe something extremely small or precise, you might instead use the adjective micrométrico/a or microscópico/a if referring to something visible only through a microscope. If you want to colloquially describe something as tiny or small, you can use chiquito/a.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a noun meaning a microwave oven, micro is a masculine noun and is typically preceded by the definite article el (e.g., el micro).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmikɾo/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you ask for a micro, you might receive a ride in a small bus rather than a meal from a microwave oven.
- The term micro comes from the Ancient Greek word mikrós, meaning 'small'.
- The term microondas describes the physics of the appliance, as it literally means 'micro waves'.
Examples in context
- La enfermedad fue causada por un nuevo microorganismo.The disease was caused by a new micro-organism.This sentence shows how the prefix micro is used in the word microorganismo.Tatoeba #1406088 by marcelostockle, translation #1398825 by Eldad
- Esta lente tiene una escala micrométrica para mediciones precisasThis lens has a micrometric scale for precise measurements
- Los virus son organismos microscópicosViruses are microscopic organisms
- El libro está impreso con una letra microscópica, necesitaré una lupa para leerlo.The book is printed with microscopic text, I'll need a magnifying glass to read it.
- El micro está muy sucio.The microwave is very dirty.
- ¿Puedo usar el micro para calentar la sopa?Can I use the microwave to heat the soup?
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are in the kitchen in the morning.
- MateoSofía, ¿dónde está el micro?Sofía, where is the microwave?
- SofíaEstá sobre la encimera, Mateo.It is on the counter, Mateo.
- MateoGracias, voy a calentar mi café.Thanks, I am going to heat my coffee.
- SofíaTen cuidado, que quema.Be careful, it's hot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “micro” translations and entries micro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries micro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
