Spanish Conversation · Level 107
60 words
Spanish word
birome
Pronunciation
IPA/biˈɾome/
Meaning
- feminine nounballpoint pen
Example
No encuentro mi birome.
I can't find my ballpoint pen.
More examples
Siempre llevo una birome en el bolsillo por si acaso.
I always carry a ballpoint pen in my pocket just in case.
Core concept
A pen whose tip holds a small metal ball that rolls ink onto paper.
Common phrases
llevar una birome
carry a ballpoint pen
tener una birome de repuesto
have a spare ballpoint pen
Similar words
bolígrafo: Standard Spanish ballpoint pen with a tiny metal ball in the tip that rolls ink onto paper.
lapicera: Handheld ballpoint pen meant to be carried for writing, with a tiny metal ball at the tip.
esfero: Ball-tipped pen whose rounded tip applies ink to paper via a small rotating sphere.
boli: Colloquial, shortened form of ballpoint pen used in informal spoken Spanish.
Definition in Spanish
Instrumento de escritura con una pequeña bola metálica en la punta que gira para depositar tinta sobre el papel, usado habitualmente para escribir.
Word origin
The word derives from the surname of inventor László Bíró, whose name became the generic term for the rolling-ball pen in the Río de la Plata region.
Usage tips
- In Argentina and Uruguay birome is the everyday word for this kind of pen, while in Spain the usual term is bolígrafo and the English loan 'biro' may sound foreign.
Opposites
- lápizpencilnoun