motonieve
/motonjebe/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase "snowmobile" is motonieve in Spanish.
motonieve is a noun used to refer to a vehicle.
Meaning: vehicle (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The second part of the word motonieve comes from nieve, meaning "snow".
How do you pronounce it?
/motonjebe/
Did you know?
- The word nieve shares a root with the Latin 'nix', which is also the ancestor of the English word 'niveous', meaning 'snowy'.
- Because nieve is a feminine noun, the entire compound motonieve inherits a feminine gender, even though the machine is a vehicle.
- In some Caribbean dialects, although they do not see snow, the word moto can be used as a prefix for many motorized transport-related inventions.
Examples in context
- Me encantaría alquilar una motonieve para explorar las montañas de España.I would love to rent a snowmobile to explore the mountains of Spain.
- Vamos a conducir una moto de nieve en la increíble estación de esquí.We're going to ride a snowmobile at the amazing ski resort.
- La motonieve es muy rápida.The snowmobile is very fast.
- Necesitamos alquilar una motonieve.We need to rent a snowmobile.
- Esa motonieve es nueva.That snowmobile is new.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are looking at a rental shop in a snowy mountain town.
- Mateo¿Hay alguna motonieve disponible?Is there a snowmobile available?
- LucíaSí, tengo una motonieve roja.Yes, I have a red snowmobile.
- MateoPerfecto, quiero probarla.Perfect, I want to try it.
- LucíaMuy bien, Mateo, aquí tienes.Very well, Mateo, here you go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snowmobile” translations and entries motonieve, 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 motonieve, CC BY-SA 4.0.
