orilla
/oˈɾiʝa/feminine
The English phrase 'shore' is translated into Spanish as orilla. Wiktionary also lists vera.
Meaning: land adjoining a large body of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| orilla | /oˈɾiʝa/ | feminine |
| vera | /ˈbeɾa/ | feminine |
In Spanish, orilla refers to the shore of lakes, rivers and seas, but also refers to the edge of a container or a piece of furniture.
Which one should you use?
While orilla means shore, it is also the standard word for the 'edge' of inanimate objects like a table or a river. The form vera is also a feminine noun meaning shore.
How does it change in a sentence?
Orilla is a feminine noun. The plural form of 'orilla' is 'orillas'.
How do you pronounce it?
/oˈɾiʝa/
Did you know?
- In several Latin American countries, orilla is used in slang to describe the outskirts or the poorest neighborhoods of a city.
- In some Spanish dialects, the word orilla is used to describe the shoulder of a road where cars pull over.
- The English word 'orle', which refers to a narrow border in heraldry, is a distant relative of the Spanish orilla.
Examples in context
- Paseamos por la orilla del lago.We walked along the shore of the lake.This sentence is useful for describing walking along the shore of a lake using orilla.Tatoeba #1615091 by teskmon, translation #248647 by CK
- Mi pasatiempo favorito es pasear por la orilla.My favorite pastime is strolling along the shore.This sentence shows how to express a pastime of strolling along the shore using orilla.Tatoeba #2079176 by radu107, translation #250459 by sacredceltic
- Las olas me matan y después la marea me arrastra a la orilla.The waves kill me and then the tide drags me to the shore.This sentence describes being dragged to the shore by the tide using orilla.Tatoeba #9056258 by rafaeldejesus8199, translation #9056259 by rafaeldejesus8199
- Para llegar a la costa, tienes que caminar unos kilómetros.To reach the shore, you have to walk a few kilometers.
- Estudiamos la biodiversidad del litoral mediterráneo.We study the biodiversity of the Mediterranean shore.
- ¡Vamos a disfrutar de un día soleado en la playa!Let's enjoy a sunny day at the shore!
- Nos sentamos en la orilla del río para descansar.We sat on the river shore to rest.
- El grupo se reunió en la ribera del río Guadalquivir.The group gathered on the shores of the Guadalquivir River.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are standing near the sea at sunset.
- JavierEl agua está muy cerca de la orilla.The water is very close to the shore.
- MaríaSí, la marea está subiendo mucho.Yes, the tide is coming in a lot.
- JavierCaminemos un poco más lejos de la orilla.Let's walk a little further from the shore.
- MaríaBuena idea, no quiero mojarme los pies.Good idea, I don't want to get my feet wet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shore” translations and entries orilla, vera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries orilla, vera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
