mecedora
/meθedoɾa/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase "rocking chair" is translated into Spanish as mecedora. Wiktionary also lists sillón de hamaca and balancín.
Meaning: chair with a curved base which can be gently rocked (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mecedora | /meθedoɾa/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /mesedoɾa/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| sillón de hamaca | /siˌʝon de aˈmaka/ | masculine |
| balancín | /balanˈθin/ /balanˈsin/ |
feminine |
A rocking chair is a chair with a curved base which can be gently rocked. You can specify the material used by adding de followed by the material, such as mecedora de madera for a wooden rocking chair or mecedora de mimbre for a wicker rocking chair.
What does it mean word for word?
The word mecedora is derived from the verb mecer, which means to rock or cradle.
Which one should you use?
You may also encounter sillón de hamaca, which is a masculine noun or balancín, which is a feminine noun.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word mecedora is a feminine noun. Its plural form is mecedoras.
How do you pronounce it?
/meθedoɾa/
Did you know?
- The word hamaca in sillón de hamaca comes from the Taíno language of the Caribbean. It is one of the many indigenous American words that Spanish adopted after the colonization of the New World.
- In some Latin American cultures, the mecedora is more than furniture and is a symbol of the 'patriarch' or 'matriarch' of the family resting on the porch.
- While mecedora is the most common term, balancín can also refer to a seesaw in many Spanish-speaking countries. The word describes any object that balances or oscillates back and forth.
Examples in context
- Tobías estaba sentado en una mecedora.Tobias was sitting in the rocking chair.This sentence is useful for describing someone sitting in a mecedora.Tatoeba #11671229 by Seael, translation #11668027 by Amastan
- La mecedora de Tobías estaba justo junto a la cocina.Tobias's rocking chair sat right next to the kitchen.This sentence shows the location of a mecedora.Tatoeba #11671234 by Seael, translation #11668024 by Amastan
- Preocuparse es como una mecedora, te da algo que hacer, pero no te lleva a ningún lado.Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere.This sentence uses mecedora in a metaphorical sense.Tatoeba #2991093 by marcelostockle, translation #1398520 by bart
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is looking at furniture in a store.
- MaríaJavier, mira esa mecedora azul.Javier, look at that blue rocking chair.
- JavierEs muy bonita, María.It is very pretty, María.
- María¿Crees que sea cómoda para leer?Do you think it would be comfortable for reading?
- JavierSí, parece perfecta para la sala.Yes, it looks perfect for the living room.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rocking chair” translations and entries mecedora, sillón de hamaca, balancín, 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 balancín, de, hamaca, sillón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
