ungüento
/unˈɡwento/masculine
The English word 'salve' can be translated into Spanish as ungüento or pomada.
Meaning: ointment, cream or balm (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ungüento | /unˈɡwento/ | masculine |
| pomada | /poˈmada/ | feminine |
Both Spanish words refer to an ointment, cream or balm.
Which one should you use?
While both terms mean salve, ungüento is a masculine noun that often refers to thicker, more medicinal ointments. In contrast, pomada is a feminine noun and is more commonly used for cosmetic or medicinal creams applied to the skin.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the masculine ungüento is ungüentos, and the plural form of the feminine pomada is pomadas.
How do you pronounce it?
/unˈɡwento/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, pomada is used figuratively to describe someone who is acting overly sweet or flattering to get a favor.
- The word ungüento contains the letter ü, which uses a dieresis to tell the speaker that the 'u' must be pronounced rather than remaining silent.
- The word pomada is a cognate of the English word 'pomade', which specifically refers to a greasy substance used for styling hair.
Examples in context
- Esta pomada hará de capa protectora sobre la quemadura.This salve will act as a protective film over the burn.This sentence is useful for showing how to use pomada when discussing a protective film for a burn.Tatoeba #2252953 by cueyayotl, translation #2252951 by _undertoad
- Hola, ¿qué tal?Hello, what's up?
- Qué tal, ¿cómo te va?What's up, how's it going?
- ¿Qué onda, güey? ¿Cómo te va?What's up, dude? How's it going?
- ¿Cómo estás, carnal? ¿Listo para salir de fiesta?How are you, buddy? Ready to go party?
- Necesito comprar un ungüento para mis pies.I need to buy an ointment for my feet.
- El médico me recetó este ungüento.The doctor prescribed this ointment for me.
Example conversation
María is helping Daniel with a small scrape.
- MaríaDaniel, necesito ponerte un ungüento aquí.Daniel, I need to put an ointment here.
- Daniel¿Me va a arder la herida?Will the wound sting?
- MaríaNo, este ungüento es muy suave.No, this ointment is very gentle.
- DanielGracias por ayudarme, María.Thank you for helping me, María.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “salve” translations and entries ungüento, pomada, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pomada, ungüento, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
