Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| maleza | /maˈleθa/ /maˈlesa/ |
|
| mala hierba | /ˌmala ˈʝeɾba/ | feminine |
| hierbajo | /ʝeɾˈbaxo/ | masculine |
| yuyo | /ˈʝuʝo/ | Argentina |
| monte | /ˈmonte/ | Mexico, masculine |
| yerbajo | /ʝeɾbaxo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
These terms are used to describe unwanted vegetation in a garden, field or landscape. While maleza often refers to a collective mass of weeds or thick undergrowth, other forms like mala hierba are used when referring more specifically to individual unwanted plants.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase mala hierba is a literal construction where mala means bad and hierba means herb or grass.
Which one should you use?
Maleza is typically used for a mass of weeds or thick undergrowth, while mala hierba is used for specific, individual unwanted plants. The masculine forms hierbajo and yerbajo also exist to denote a weed.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the term yuyo is commonly used for weeds. In Mexico, monte can be used to refer to weeds or thick, unwanted vegetation. In Mexico and some Central American countries, the slang term churro is used to mean a joint.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of weeding, you can use the verbs escardar, desbrozar or desmalezar. The verb desmalezar is formed by adding the prefix des- (meaning undo or remove) to maleza.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈleθa/
Did you know?
- The term mala hierba is the basis for a popular Spanish proverb mala hierba nunca muere meaning 'bad weeds never die'.
- The term churro is used as slang for a cannabis joint in Mexico, which links back to the botanical theme of 'weed'.
- In Argentina, the word yuyo for a weed is not of Latin origin, but comes from the Quechua language.
Examples in context
- Hay mucha maleza en el jardín.There is a lot of weed in the garden.
- Debes quitar la maleza de las macetas.You must remove the weed from the pots.
- La maleza crece muy rápido en verano.The weed grows very fast in summer.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are working in their backyard garden.
- MateoMaría, mira toda esta maleza.María, look at all this weed.
- MaríaEs verdad, hay que limpiar el terreno.It's true, we need to clean the ground.
- MateoYo me encargo de la maleza hoy.I will take care of the weed today.
- MaríaGracias, Mateo, yo traeré las herramientas.Thanks, Mateo, I will bring the tools.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “weed” translations and entries maleza, mala hierba, hierbajo, yuyo, monte, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hierba, hierbajo, mala, maleza, yuyo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
