palo
/ˈpalo/masculine
The Spanish word for stick is palo. Wiktionary also lists tortol and tortor.
Meaning: long piece of wood (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| palo | /ˈpalo/ | masculine |
| tortol | /toɾtol/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| tortor | /toɾtoɾ/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
The word palo is used for both natural branches found on the ground and man-made wooden sticks.
Which one should you use?
While palo is a general term for a stick, vara often refers to a more slender, straight or finished rod or cane.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of palo is palos.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpalo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may confuse the noun palo (stick) with the verb pegar (to stick/to hit). They are not related in meaning or form.
Did you know?
- The word palo is used in music terminology to describe the rhythmic patterns or 'beats' in certain genres like Flamenco.
- In some contexts, palo refers to a suit in a deck of cards, such as hearts or spades.
- There is a common idiomatic expression no dar palo which means to be incredibly lazy or to avoid working entirely.
Examples in context
- Le pegó al perro con un palo.He beat the dog with a stick.This sentence shows how to use palo to describe an object used for hitting.Tatoeba #1479027 by marcelostockle, translation #295980 by CK
- Revolvé la pintura con un palo.Stir the paint with a stick.This sentence shows how to use palo as a tool for stirring.Tatoeba #1466903 by hayastan, translation #1503064 by CK
- Até un palo a la planta para enderezarla.I tied a stick to the plant to straighten it.This sentence shows how to use palo to support a plant.Tatoeba #1628556 by Shishir, translation #1650220 by marcelostockle
- Por favor, dame ese palo.Please give me that stick.
- Los niños juegan con palos en el parque.Children play with sticks in the park.
- Los policías utilizan una barra para controlar la multitud.The police officers use a baton to control the crowd.
- El pescador utiliza una vara para pescar.The fisherman uses a fishing rod.
- Mi abuelo siempre lleva una vara para caminar.My grandfather always carries a walking stick.
- Me compré un palo de selfie para tomar mejores fotos.I bought a selfie stick to take better pictures.
- ¿Puedes usar ese palo de selfie para tomar una foto grupal?Can you use that selfie stick to take a group picture?
- Necesito comprar un nuevo palo de hockey para el partido de mañana.I need to buy a new hockey stick for the game tomorrow.
- Los jugadores de hockey golpearon la pelota con los palos.The hockey players hit the ball with the sticks.
- Pisamos palos mientras caminábamos por el bosque.We stepped on sticks while walking through the forest.
- Vamos a hacer una fogata con maderas encontradas en la playa.Let's make a bonfire with the sticks we found on the beach.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are walking in the woods.
- DanielMira este palo tan largo.Look at this very long stick.
- LucíaParece un bastón antiguo.It looks like an old cane.
- DanielVoy a usar el palo para caminar.I am going to use the stick to walk.
- LucíaTen cuidado de no tropezar.Be careful not to trip.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stick” translations and entries palo, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
