Spanish word

alhaja

Pronunciation

IPA/aˈlaxa/

Meaning

  • feminine nounpiece of jewelry

Example

Encontré una alhaja dentro de la caja.

I found a piece of jewelry inside the box.

Illustration for alhaja (piece of jewelry)

More examples

No quiero vender la alhaja que heredé.

I don't want to sell the piece of jewelry I inherited.

Core concept

Valuable ornament made of gems or precious metal, worn or kept as a jewel.

Common phrases

  • comprar alhaja

    buy a piece of jewelry

  • vender alhaja

    sell a piece of jewelry

Similar words

joya: Valuable ornament of gemstones or precious metals, commonly worn as rings, necklaces, or brooches.
gema: Naturally formed stone cut and polished for use in jewelry, prized for color and brilliance.
bisutería: Inexpensive decorative jewelry made from non-precious materials, worn as fashion accessories.
adorno: Decorative object worn or placed to beautify a person or space, not necessarily valuable.

Definition in Spanish

Objeto de adorno hecho con materiales valiosos, como gemas o metales, que se lleva puesto o se guarda como joya.

Word origin

Alhaja comes from an Arabic loanword adopted in medieval Iberia, where the Arabic article al- fused into the form now meaning a piece of jewelry.

Usage tips

  • In literature and some regional speech alhaja appears more often than in everyday conversation, where joya is the usual neutral term.

Other meanings

  • gemnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • alhajerojewelernoun
  • alhajeríajewelry shopnoun

Word lists with this word