rayas
/raʝas/from spelling rules
The English phrase "stripes" is translated into Spanish as rayas.
The word rayas refers to long, narrow lines of a different color from the background on a surface or fabric.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is derived from the concept of a line or a streak, which is the meaning of the singular form raya.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form is rayas, while the singular form for a single stripe is raya.
How do you pronounce it?
/raʝas/
Did you know?
- In certain slang contexts, especially in parts of Spain, 'rayarse' means to become obsessed or overthink a situation excessively.
- The word raya can also refer to a type of large ray fish, which is a common source of confusion when discussing marine biology in Spanish.
- To 'cross the line' in a moral or behavioral sense is expressed as pasar la raya. This uses the same word for a stripe or line to describe an unacceptable boundary.
Examples in context
- Las cebras tienen rayas.Zebras have stripes.Tatoeba #10067560 by manufrutos, translation #7697529 by Hybrid
- ¿Por qué las cebras tienen rayas?Why do zebras have stripes?Tatoeba #5046851 by don_ramon, translation #5046521 by Hybrid
- Los tigres blancos no son albinos, si lo fueran no tendrían rayas.White tigers are not albinos. If they were, they would have no stripes whatsoever.Tatoeba #1331017 by Shishir, translation #712556 by papabear
- La camisa tiene rayas azules y blancas.The shirt has blue and white stripes.
- La bandera tiene franjas rojas y blancas.The flag has red and white stripes.
- El gato blanco tiene tiras grises en su pelaje.The white cat has gray stripes on its fur.
- Un vestido con franjas negras y blancas.A dress with black and white stripes.
- Unos pantalones cortos a rayas azules y rosas.Shorts with blue and pink stripes.
- El tigre tiene rayas negras y naranjas.The tiger has black and orange stripes.
- La cebra tiene franjas negras y blancas.The zebra has black and white stripes.
- El pez payaso tiene tiras anaranjadas y blancas.The clownfish has orange and white stripes.
- El amanecer tiene rayas de colores en el cielo.The sunrise has colorful stripes in the sky.
- El campo de trigo está formado por franjas doradas.The wheat field is composed of golden stripes.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are looking at clothes in a shop.
- SofíaMe gustan esas rayas azules.I like those blue stripes.
- AlejandroA mí también, pero prefiero las rojas.Me too, but I prefer the red ones.
- Sofía¿Crees que estas rayas son muy anchas?Do you think these stripes are too wide?
- AlejandroNo, se ven muy bien.No, they look very good.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
