pasta
/ˈpasta/
The Spanish word for an adhesive paste is pasta.
pasta refers to a paste used as an adhesive. While it can describe an adhesive substance, it is much more commonly used to refer to pasta (noodles) or a thick, dough-like substance.
Meaning: an adhesive paste (noun)
Which one should you use?
Depending on the context, you may choose a different word. Use pegamento if you are referring to a common liquid or stick adhesive used for paper or crafts. If you are in a formal context and referring to paste, adhesivo can be used and is typically used for stronger types of paste used in construction or bonding.
Is it said differently in some regions?
engrudo is a regional term used in some Latin American countries, particularly Argentina and Uruguay, to refer to a specific type of glue or paste.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpasta/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use pasta to mean 'paste' (adhesive), but in Spanish, pasta primarily refers to pasta (noodles) or dough/paste in a culinary or modeling context.
Did you know?
- The word pasta can refer to 'money' in certain colloquial contexts, such as in Spain, where saying no tengo pasta means 'I have no money'.
- The word pasta shares a linguistic ancestor with the Ancient Greek word pastós, which described something 'spreadable' or 'creamy'.
- In Spain, you might hear pasta used to describe the material of jewelry, such as 'pasta' stones that imitate diamonds.
Examples in context
- Está hecho de una pasta especial.It's made of a special paste.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe something made of a specific pasta.Tatoeba #5965124 by arh, translation #9193510 by DJ_Saidez
- Necesito pegamento para hacer manualidadesI need glue for crafting
- ¡Trae la pega para arreglar mi libro!Bring the paste to fix my book!
- El papel se pegó con colaThe paper was pasted with glue
- Por favor, trae la pasta para pegar los carteles en la pared.Please bring the paste to stick the posters on the wall.
- Mi hermano usó pegamento para reparar el juguete.My brother used glue to fix the toy.
- Necesito una pasta más fuerte para el papel.I need a stronger paste for the paper.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are working on an art project.
- ElenaAlejandro, ¿dónde está la pasta?Alejandro, where is the paste?
- AlejandroEstá sobre la mesa, Elena.It is on the table, Elena.
- ElenaNo veo ninguna pasta aquí.I don't see any paste here.
- AlejandroMira detrás de los pinceles.Look behind the brushes.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pasta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pasta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
