madera
/maˈdeɾa/feminine
The Spanish word for wood is madera. Wiktionary also lists fuste and leñame.
Meaning: substance (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| madera | /maˈdeɾa/ | feminine |
| fuste | /ˈfuste/ | masculine |
| leñame | /leˈɲame/ | masculine |
| palo | /ˈpalo/ | masculine |
Madera refers to wood as a substance or material. It is also used idiomatically in the phrase tener madera de…, which means to have the talent or knack for something.
Which one should you use?
While madera refers to the material itself, palo is used when referring to a specific object made of wood, such as a stick, a pole or a branch.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe something as being made of wood, use the construction de madera, such as in the phrase una mesa de madera. Madera is a feminine noun, while fuste, leñame and palo are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈdeɾa/
Did you know?
- Surprisingly, the root of madera is the Latin word for 'mother', 'mater', suggesting that wood was viewed as a 'source' or 'mother' of things.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, palo can be used as a vulgar slang term for the penis, similar to how pau is used in Portuguese.
- The word madera is a 'doublet' of materia, meaning they both evolved from the same Latin root but developed different meanings and sounds in Spanish.
Examples in context
- La madera flota bien.Wood floats well.This sentence illustrates the buoyancy of madera.Tatoeba #13457719 by Seael, translation #13457908 by Adelpa
- La madera es inflamable.Wood is flammable.This sentence notes that madera is flammable.Tatoeba #3525849 by gianich73, translation #2254922 by CK
- Este cajón es de madera.That box is made of wood.This sentence shows how to use madera to describe what an object is made of.Tatoeba #5107309 by don_ramon, translation #67857 by CK
- El escritorio está hecho de madera.The desk is made of wood.
- Me encanta el olor de la madera en una cabaña.I love the smell of wood in a cabin.
- No encuentro un madero lo suficientemente largo para ese proyecto.I can't find a long enough wood plank for that project.
- 68 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are looking at a table in a furniture store.
- DanielMe gusta mucho esta mesa.I really like this table.
- ElenaSí, la madera se ve muy resistente.Yes, the wood looks very strong.
- Daniel¿Crees que es madera natural?Do you think it is natural wood?
- ElenaCreo que es madera procesada.I think it is processed wood.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wood” translations and entries madera, fuste, leñame, palo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fuste, leñame, madera, palo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
