Spanish Conversation · Level 62
76 words
Spanish word
hoyo
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈoʝo/
Meaning
- masculine nounhole
Example
Hay un hoyo en la calle.
There is a hole in the street.
More examples
Taparon el hoyo con tierra.
They plugged the hole with dirt.
Core concept
Small depression or hollow in a surface, often in the ground.
Common phrases
tapar un hoyo
plug a hole
caer en un hoyo
fall into a hole
un hoyo en la carretera
a hole in the road
Similar words
agujero: Through-and-through opening in a surface or material, creating a visible passage or gap.
bache: Localized collapse or hollow in a paved roadway surface that creates a hazard for vehicles.
Definition in Spanish
Abertura o cavidad pequeña en una superficie, frecuentemente en el terreno.
Word origin
Spanish hoyo comes from Latin fovea 'small pit' and passes into Spanish through regular Romance sound changes while keeping the sense of a small hollow.
Usage tips
- Hoyo normally denotes a depression that may not go all the way through while agujero typically implies a hole that penetrates an object, and hoyo is the standard word for a golf hole.
Other meanings
- depressionnoun
- dentnoun
Opposites
- montículomoundnoun
- bultobumpnoun
Related words
- hoyuelodimplenoun
- hoyitolittle holenoun