Spanish word

espalda

Pronunciation

IPA/esˈpalda/

Meaning

  • feminine nounback

Example

Lávate la espalda después de nadar.

Wash your back after you swim.

Illustration for espalda (back)

More examples

Antes de dormir, me masajeo la espalda.

Before going to sleep, I massage my back.

Core concept

Back area of the trunk between the shoulder blades and the waist.

Common phrases

  • lavarse la espalda

    wash one's back

  • poner la mano en la espalda

    place a hand on one's back

Similar words

lomo: Occupies the animal's upper-back loin area, commonly used as a tender meat cut.
dorso: Forms the dorsal surface of the trunk, the back-facing outer side of the body.
columna: Forms the series of vertebrae that make up the spine and support the torso.

Definition in Spanish

Parte posterior del torso, entre los hombros y la cintura, que contiene la columna vertebral y los músculos dorsales.

Word origin

The noun is inherited from Vulgar Latin *spalda via Romance languages, where the form meant back or flank, and Spanish added an initial e before s+consonant clusters.

Usage tips

  • The idiom 'dar la espalda' means to turn one's back on or ignore someone and it uses the definite article with espalda.

Opposites

Word lists with this word