Spanish word

bola

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈbola/

Meaning

  • feminine nounball

Example

El niño lanzó la bola al perro.

The boy threw the ball to the dog.

Illustration for bola (ball)

More examples

El perro encontró la bola debajo del sofá.

The dog found the ball under the sofa.

Core concept

Small to medium round object for playing, throwing, or rolling.

Common phrases

  • jugar con la bola

    play with the ball

  • patear la bola

    kick the ball

  • bola de nieve

    snowball

Similar words

balón: Relatively large ball for outdoor use and team sports or physical-education activities.
pelota: Manageable ball for children's play, casual games, or amateur baseball.

Definition in Spanish

Objeto de forma redonda o esférica, usado para jugar, lanzar o hacer rodar.

Word origin

From Latin bulla 'bubble, knob', which in the Romance languages developed into Spanish bola to mean a rounded lump or ball.

Usage tips

  • In sports talk Spanish speakers usually prefer balón or pelota for game balls, while bola is the default for ordinary round objects and for a snowball.

Other meanings

  • spherenoun
  • snowballnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word