Spanish Conversation · Level 129
61 words
Spanish word
címbalo
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈθimbalo/
Meaning
- masculine nouncymbal
Example
El músico tocó el címbalo.
The musician struck the cymbal.
More examples
En la clase de música vimos que el címbalo es un instrumento de percusión.
In music class we saw that the cymbal is a percussion instrument.
Core concept
Thin round metal discs struck together to make a bright, high sound.
Common phrases
instrumento de percusión címbalo
percussion instrument cymbal
utilizar címbalos en la batería
use cymbals on the drum kit
crash de címbalos
cymbal crash
Similar words
platillo: Thin round metal disc struck to produce a bright, high crash, common in everyday speech.
pandereta: Hand-held frame drum with a stretched membrane, shaken or struck by hand for rhythmic accents.
batería: Set of several drums and cymbals arranged for one performer as a complete percussion kit.
bombo: Large cylindrical drum with a stretched head struck by a beater to produce a deep, low sound.
Definition in Spanish
Instrumento de percusión formado por discos metálicos redondos que se golpean entre sí o con baquetas para producir un sonido agudo y brillante.
Word origin
The Spanish word comes from Latin cymbalum, itself from Greek kymbalon 'small bowl' used for a percussion instrument, and entered Spanish via Italian.
Usage tips
- In everyday speech many speakers use platillo for a cymbal, while címbalo appears more in musical scores, instrument lists, and specialist contexts.