tu basura
/tu basuɾa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "your garbage" is translated into Spanish as tu basura.
This phrase refers to the waste materials that belong to you.
What does it mean word for word?
Tu is the possessive adjective for "your" (singular/informal) and basura means "garbage" or "trash".
Which one should you use?
Tu basura is used for a single person with whom you have a familiar or informal relationship.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, vuestra basura is used when addressing a group of people informally.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use su basura instead of tu basura when speaking to someone formally or to a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
/tu basuɾa/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, calling someone basura is a harsh insult that labels the person as 'trash' or 'worthless'.
- The word basura is a linguistic descendant of the Latin verb verrō, which means 'to sweep'.
- While basura is the waste itself, the word basurero can refer to both the person who collects the trash and the container used to hold it.
Examples in context
- Le ruego que retire sus desechos de mi propiedad.I kindly ask you to remove your garbage from my property.
- Recuerde colocar sus desperdicios en los contenedores adecuados.Remember to dispose of your garbage in the appropriate containers.
- La empresa se encarga de recolectar y tratar sus residuos de manera segura.The company is responsible for collecting and safely treating your waste.
- No dejes tu basura allí, por favor.Please, don't leave your garbage there.
- No quiero llevar tu basura.I don't want to carry your garbage.
- ¿Dónde dejaste tu basura?Where did you leave your garbage?
- Tu basura huele muy mal.Your garbage smells very bad.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are cleaning the shared kitchen.
- ElenaJavier, por favor tira tu basura.Javier, please throw away your garbage.
- JavierLo siento, lo haré ahora.I'm sorry, I'll do it now.
- ElenaGracias, la mesa está muy sucia.Thanks, the table is very dirty.
- JavierYa está limpio, Elena.It is clean now, Elena.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries basura, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
