What does it mean word for word?
The word tragamonedas is a compound of traga, meaning swallows and monedas, meaning coins, literally translating to 'coin-swallower'.
Which one should you use?
While tragamonedas refers to the machines generally, máquina tragamonedas is a more complete and formal way to name the device itself. If you are referring to narrow openings or gaps rather than gambling, use the formal term ranuras. If you mean generic empty spaces or allocated places, use espacios.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In most of Latin America, tragamonedas is the standard term. In Spain, the standard colloquial term is tragaperras.
How does it change in a sentence?
Tragamonedas is an invariable noun. It does not change its form to indicate singular or plural. For example, la tragamonedas refers to one slot and las tragamonedas refers to multiple slots.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɾaɡamonedas/
Did you know?
- In Spain, you will often hear people call these machines tragaperras, which literally translates to 'coin-swallowing dogs' or 'dog-swallowing' machines. This implies the machine is a hungry beast that devours your money.
- While tragamonedas describes the machine, the word ranura is used for the actual physical slot you drop the coin into.
- Because tragamonedas is an invariable noun, it stays exactly the same whether you are talking about a single machine or a whole room full of them. You only change the article from la to las to show plurality.
Examples in context
- Por favor, estacione su carro en uno de los espacios disponibles.Please park your car in one of the available slots.
- ¡Asegúrate de poner las monedas en los huecos correctos!Make sure to put the coins in the right slots!
- Las tragamonedas están en el casino.The slot machines are in the casino.
- Él ganó mucho dinero en las tragamonedas.He won a lot of money on the slot machines.
- No me gustan las tragamonedas.I do not like slot machines.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are walking through a bright casino.
- Alejandro¿Quieres probar las tragamonedas?Do you want to try the slot machines?
- SofíaNo, prefiero jugar al blackjack.No, I prefer to play blackjack.
- AlejandroEstá bien, vamos a la mesa de cartas.That is fine, let's go to the card table.
- SofíaMe parece un buen plan.That sounds like a good plan.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
