césped
/ˈθesped/
The Spanish word for sod is césped.
césped refers to turf grown for the establishment of a lawn. While 'césped' is the most common word for the concept of a lawn or turf, it is used more broadly for 'grass' in general than the English word 'sod' is.
Meaning: turf grown for establishment of lawn (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
césped is a masculine noun and is typically used with the masculine definite article el, as in el césped.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈθesped/
Did you know?
- The Latin root of césped, caespes, specifically referred to a piece of turf cut out of the ground, which was historically used to mark boundaries or burial plots.
- The word césped is a linguistic relative of the English word 'cespitose', which botanists use to describe plants that grow in dense, sod-like clumps.
- In some Spanish dialects, the word césped can be used to describe a surface of synthetic turf, such as those found on modern football pitches, even though the word literally means natural grass.
Examples in context
- ¿Viste ese hermoso zacate que pusieron en el jardín?Did you see that beautiful sod they put in the garden?
- Estoy pensando en comprar césped en rollos para mejorar mi jardínI'm considering buying sod rolls to enhance my garden
- El jardinero está colocando el césped.The gardener is laying the sod.
- El césped es muy suave.The turf is very soft.
- Necesitamos comprar más césped para el jardín.We need to buy more sod for the garden.
- El césped nuevo necesita mucha agua.The new sod needs a lot of water.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are discussing their backyard renovation.
- María¿Ya compraste el césped?Did you already buy the sod?
- DanielSí, el césped llegará esta tarde.Yes, the sod will arrive this afternoon.
- MaríaPerfecto, Daniel, yo prepararé la tierra.Perfect, Daniel, I will prepare the soil.
- DanielGracias, María, será un gran cambio.Thanks, María, it will be a great change.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry césped, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries césped, CC BY-SA 4.0.
