esfera
/esˈfeɾa/feminine
The English word sphere translates to Spanish as esfera. Wiktionary also lists bola.
Meaning: spherical physical object (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| esfera | /esˈfeɾa/ | feminine |
| bola | /ˈbola/ | feminine |
Both esfera and bola are feminine nouns used to describe a spherical physical object. While esfera refers to geometric or abstract concepts, it is also used metaphorically to describe an area of influence or a field of activity, such as in the phrase esfera de influencia.
Which one should you use?
Esfera is the technical or scientific term for a sphere. In contrast, bola is a more common, colloquial word used for everyday objects like a ball used in sports or a ball of yarn.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of esfera is esferas, and the plural form of bola is bolas.
How do you pronounce it?
/esˈfeɾa/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the expression hacerse bolas is used colloquially to say that someone is getting confused or getting their wires crossed.
- In some Latin American regions, bola is used to describe a crowd or a chaotic gathering of people, such as a bola de gente.
- The word bola is a doublet of bula, meaning a papal bull. Both words come from the Latin bulla, which originally referred to a seal or a bubble.
Examples in context
- La Tierra no es una esfera perfecta.The Earth is not a perfect sphere.Tatoeba #1566772 by hayastan, translation #3952180 by Hybrid
- La Tierra es una esfera.The Earth is a sphere.Tatoeba #8107931 by Adelpa, translation #8107929 by Adelpa
- La Tierra es sólo una esfera suspendida en el espacio.The earth is just a sphere suspended in space.Tatoeba #2413526 by Haruhi_Gafitas, translation #277118 by U2FS
- La esfera es una figura geométrica tridimensional.The sphere is a three-dimensional geometric figure.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are studying geometry in a classroom.
- MaríaMateo, ¿puedes dibujar una esfera aquí?Mateo, can you draw a sphere here?
- MateoSí, pero es difícil hacer que parezca una esfera.Yes, but it's hard to make it look like a sphere.
- MaríaIntenta añadirle algunas sombras.Try adding some shadows to it.
- MateoAhora sí parece una esfera real.Now it really looks like a sphere.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sphere” translations and entries esfera, bola, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bola, esfera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
