zapato
/θaˈpato/masculine
The Spanish word for shoe is zapato. Wiktionary also lists taba.
Meaning: protective covering for the foot (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| zapato | /θaˈpato/ /saˈpato/ |
masculine |
| taba | /ˈtaba/ | Peru, feminine |
The term is used to refer to a protective covering for the foot. For a more general way to refer to footwear, you can use the formal term calzado.
Which one should you use?
While zapato is the standard term, in Mexico and Central America, the word tennis is specifically used when referring to athletic shoes or sneakers.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Zapato is the standard term throughout most Latin American countries. In Peru, the word taba is used for shoe.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of zapato is zapatos.
How do you pronounce it?
/θaˈpato/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word zapato is thought to be a distant relative of the Italian word ciabatta, which is used in English to describe a type of bread.
Examples in context
- Tom se comió mi zapato.Tom ate my shoe.This sentence shows the use of zapato in a simple statement.Tatoeba #9628387 by dpcossio, translation #9589160 by shekitten
- Se me desamarró un zapato.My shoe came undone.This sentence uses zapato to describe something coming undone.Tatoeba #4378659 by umano, translation #10240210 by LimeGreenTeknii
- El zapato me queda pequeño.This shoe is too small for me.This sentence uses zapato to discuss fit.Tatoeba #8322235 by arh, translation #9524900 by DJ_Saidez
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are getting ready to go out.
- LucíaDaniel, ¿dónde está mi zapato izquierdo?Daniel, where is my left shoe?
- DanielEstá debajo de la mesa, Lucía.It is under the table, Lucía.
- LucíaGracias, este zapato es muy incómodo.Thanks, this shoe is very uncomfortable.
- DanielQuizás deberías cambiarte de calzado.Maybe you should change your footwear.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shoe” translations and entries zapato, taba, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries taba, zapato, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
