espinas
/espinas/from spelling rules
The English word 'thorns' is espinas in Spanish.
espinas is used to refer to the thorns found on plants. It is also the word used to describe the spines of fish or the prickles of certain animals.
Which one should you use?
While espinas is the most common word for thorns on plants, it is also used for the spines of fish or the prickles of certain animals.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of espinas is espina, which means 'thorn'.
How do you pronounce it?
/espinas/
Did you know?
- The word espina is the root of espina dorsal, which is the Spanish term for the 'backbone' or 'spinal column'.
- The expression tener una espina clavada describes a feeling of resentment or a lingering regret about a past failure. It literally translates to 'having a thorn driven in'.
- The word espina is also used in Spanish to describe a 'bone' or 'fishbone' stuck in someone's throat. An English speaker might be confused to hear someone say they have an espina while eating dinner.
Examples in context
- Las rosas tienen espinas.Roses have thorns.This sentence is useful for describing what roses have.Tatoeba #9462465 by ignacio, translation #2549026 by CK
- Toda rosa tiene sus espinas.Every rose has its thorns.This sentence illustrates that every rose has its own thorns.Tatoeba #1713873 by marcelostockle, translation #1636183 by ari_diary
- Las flores hermosas tienen espinas.Beautiful flowers have thorns.This sentence shows that beautiful flowers can also have thorns.Tatoeba #1272653 by marcelostockle, translation #535796 by Scott
- La rosa tiene espinas afiladas.The rose has sharp thorns.
- ¡Cuidado con los pinchos de ese cactus!Be careful with the thorns of that cactus!
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are gardening together.
- LucíaTen cuidado con las espinas.Be careful with the thorns.
- JavierGracias, Lucía. Voy a usar guantes.Thanks, Lucía. I'm going to use gloves.
- LucíaEste arbusto tiene demasiadas espinas.This bush has too many thorns.
- JavierEs verdad, es muy peligroso.It's true, it is very dangerous.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
