cintura
/θinˈtuɾa/feminine
The English phrase waist is translated into Spanish as cintura. Wiktionary also lists talle.
Meaning: part of the body (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cintura | /θinˈtuɾa/ /sinˈtuɾa/ |
feminine |
| talle | /ˈtaʝe/ | masculine |
The term cintura is the standard way to refer to the physical part of the human body.
Which one should you use?
While cintura refers to the anatomical part of the body, the masculine form talle is used in the context of clothing to refer to the length of the torso or the size of a garment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of cintura is cinturas.
How do you pronounce it?
/θinˈtuɾa/
Did you know?
- In some dialects, saying someone has mucha cintura does not just refer to size, but can imply they are a skilled and graceful dancer.
- The word cintura is also used in Spanish to describe the 'waist' of a guitar or a violin, referring to the inward curves of the instrument's body.
- The English word 'cincture', referring to a belt or a liturgical band, is a direct linguistic relative of the Spanish cintura.
Examples in context
- Tiene una cintura muy pequeña.She has a small waist.This sentence is useful for describing the size of someone's cintura.Tatoeba #2259129 by cueyayotl, translation #2259128 by _undertoad
- El agua le llegó hasta su cintura.The water came up to his waist.This sentence is useful for describing water reaching a certain level of the cintura.Tatoeba #7704969 by emigonza, translation #270833 by CK
- Puso su brazo alrededor de mi cintura.He put his arm around my waist.This sentence is useful for describing an arm placed around a cintura.Tatoeba #5046150 by don_ramon, translation #5044160 by nizoverdulo
- Me gusta usar cinturones para resaltar mi cintura.I like to wear belts to accentuate my waist.
- Tienes una cintura muy estrecha.You have a very narrow waist.
- Esa falda resalta tu cadera y tu cintura.That skirt accentuates your hip and waist.
- Tengo una cadera ancha pero una cintura pequeña.I have wide hips but a small waist.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are shopping for clothes in a boutique.
- LucíaDaniel, ¿crees que este vestido me queda bien en la cintura?Daniel, do you think this dress fits me well at the waist?
- DanielSí, Lucía, resalta mucho tu cintura.Yes, Lucía, it highlights your waist a lot.
- LucíaQué bien, porque me preocupa que sea muy ajustado.That's good, because I'm worried it might be too tight.
- DanielNo te preocupes, te ves muy elegante.Don't worry, you look very elegant.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “waist” translations and entries cintura, talle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cintura, talle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
