Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| red | /ˈred/ | feminine |
| jábeca | /xabeka/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
red is a feminine noun used to describe a device for catching things such as fish or butterflies. It is also used in the phrase red de seguridad, which can refer to a literal physical safety net or be used figuratively to describe a financial or metaphorical safety net.
Which one should you use?
While red is the general word for a net, jábeca refers specifically to a landing net used by fishermen to scoop fish out of the water.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, red is typically used to refer to a fishing net or a sports net. In Mexico, the word malla is often used for a physical net, such as in the phrase una malla de pesca for a fishing net.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the noun red is redes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈred/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might confuse the Spanish noun red (meaning net) with the English word 'red' (the color). In Spanish, the word for the color red is actually rojo.
Did you know?
- In modern Spanish, red is the standard word for a computer network or the internet, which is called la red.
- The Spanish red is a direct descendant of the Latin word rēte, which is why it is a close relative of the English anatomical term 'rete'.
- In a social context, the phrase redes sociales uses the plural of red to mean 'social media'.
Examples in context
- La red es enorme.The net is huge.This sentence uses red to describe the size of a net.Tatoeba #539407 by Shishir, translation #533955 by tomkun01
- Él reparó la red.He fixed the net.This sentence uses red to describe repairing a net.Tatoeba #1287554 by marcelostockle, translation #304151 by CK
- Es peligroso realizar esta acrobacia sin red de seguridad.It's dangerous to perform this acrobatic act without a safety net.This sentence uses red to describe a safety net.Tatoeba #13274212 by Eremon, translation #2934646 by patgfisher
- El crecimiento demográfico neto en el país es extremadamente alto.The net population growth in the country is extremely high.
- La empresa informó de una ganancia neta de $500,000.The company reported a net profit of $500,000.
- Paso mucho tiempo navegando por internet.I spend a lot of time browsing the net.
- El balón de fútbol golpeó la malla.The soccer ball hit the net.
- Lo encontré en la redI found that on the net
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are at a lake during a fishing trip.
- Javier¿Tienes la red para sacar el pez?Do you have the net to take out the fish?
- MaríaSí, la red está en la mochila.Yes, the net is in the backpack.
- Javier¡Mira, un pez muy grande!Look, a very big fish!
- MaríaPásame la red rápido.Pass me the net quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “net” translations and entries red, 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 red, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
