ópalo
/ˈopalo/masculine
The English word "opal" is ópalo in Spanish.
The term refers to a mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity.
Meaning: a mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ópalo is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈopalo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish-speaking cultures, the ópalo is sometimes associated with bad luck or instability, mirroring an old European superstition that the stone could bring misfortune to its wearer.
- The Spanish word ópalo shares a distant ancestor with the Sanskrit word upala, which originally meant any 'gem' or 'stone'.
- In some Spanish-speaking mining regions, the iridescent effect of an ópalo is called juego de colores, which literally means 'game of colors'.
Examples in context
- El yacimiento de ópalo le da a Mary suficiente para pagar la maquinaria y llevar una vida bastante desahogada.The opal deposit gives Mary enough to pay for the machinery and lead a comfortable enough life.This sentence describes how an ópalo deposit provides Mary with enough resources for machinery and a comfortable life.Tatoeba #7929946 by Seael, translation #10112038 by shekitten
- Me encanta el brillo del ópalo.I love the glow of the opal.
- ¿Dónde puedo comprar una piedra de ópalo genuina?Where can I buy a genuine opal stone?
- El anillo tiene un ópalo muy brillante.The ring has a very bright opal.
- Ella compró un ópalo de color azul.She bought a blue opal.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are looking at jewelry in a store.
- Javier¿Te gusta este ópalo?Do you like this opal?
- SofíaSí, es precioso.Yes, it is beautiful.
- JavierEl ópalo refleja muy bien la luz.The opal reflects the light very well.
- SofíaEs una piedra muy especial.It is a very special stone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “opal” translations and entries ópalo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ópalo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
