llave con/tipo carraca/matraca
masculine
A ratchet wrench in Spanish is llave con/tipo carraca/matraca. Wiktionary also lists llave con trinquetes/linguetes/pales.
Meaning: A type of wrench (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| llave con/tipo carraca/matraca | masculine |
| llave con trinquetes/linguetes/pales | masculine |
The term llave de carraca is the most standard way to refer to a ratchet wrench in many Spanish-speaking countries.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase llave con carraca literally translates to 'wrench with a ratchet'.
Which one should you use?
In Spain, the mechanism that allows the one-way movement is often called a trinquete.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain and other European Spanish-speaking regions, Llave de carraca is especially common. In Mexico and several other Latin American countries, the word matraca is frequently used to refer to the ratchet mechanism or the tool itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms for the ratchet wrench are masculine nouns.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a matraca is not just a tool but a traditional wooden clapper used during Good Friday processions as a substitute for church bells.
- Because llave is cognate with the English musical term 'clef', the word for a wrench and the word for a musical symbol are distant cousins.
- In some Latin American workshops, mechanics use an onomatopoeic imitation of the matraca sound to describe the specific clicking of the tool during a repair.
Examples in context
- ¿Dónde está la llave de trinquete? Necesito aflojar estos tornillos.Where is the ratchet wrench? I need to loosen these screws.
- Pásame el criquet, por favor. Tengo que ajustar esta tuerca.Pass me the ratchet wrench, please. I need to tighten this nut.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ratchet wrench” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries con, llave, CC BY-SA 4.0.
