Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| amapola | /amaˈpola/ | feminine |
| adormidera | /adoɾmiˈdeɾa/ | feminine |
Spanish uses different terms for the poppy depending on whether you are discussing the flower itself or the plant's pharmacological properties. Use amapola to refer to the plant as a flower in botanical or aesthetic contexts. Use adormidera when referring to the plant as a source of medicine or narcotics, specifically the opium poppy.
Which one should you use?
amapola is the term used when focusing on the botanical or aesthetic aspects of the flower. In contrast, adormidera is used in a pharmacological context to refer to the plant as a source of opium.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, amapola is the prevalent term for poppy. In Mexico, adormidera is commonly used in medical or botanical contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both terms are feminine nouns. The plural of amapola is amapolas, and the plural of adormidera is adormideras.
How do you pronounce it?
/amaˈpola/
Did you know?
- Because adormidera comes from the root dormir 'to sleep', it shares a linguistic ancestor with the English word 'dormitory'.
- The word amapola has a much more mysterious history, as it evolved from an even older, much more obscure word 'ababol'.
Examples in context
- Me encanta cómo crecen las amapolas en el campo.I love how poppies grow in the countryside.
- La amapola es de un rojo muy intenso.The poppy is a very intense red.
- Vi una amapola creciendo en el campo.I saw a poppy growing in the field.
- Esa amapola tiene los pétalos muy delicados.That poppy has very delicate petals.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are walking through a wildflower meadow.
- Javier¡Mira esa amapola tan bonita, Sofía!Look at that very beautiful poppy, Sofía!
- SofíaEs preciosa, pero no la arranques.It is gorgeous, but do not pick it.
- JavierTienes razón, solo la estoy mirando.You are right, I am only looking at it.
- SofíaEs mejor dejarla en su lugar.It is better to leave it in its place.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poppy” translations and entries amapola, adormidera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adormidera, amapola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
