Spanish word

pista

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈpista/

Meaning

  • feminine nounclue

Example

La policía encontró una pista importante.

The police found an important clue.

Illustration for pista (clue)

More examples

Perdimos la pista cuando se mudó de ciudad.

We lost the lead when he moved to another city.

Core concept

A line of footprints or marks forming a lead toward a suspect or place.

Common phrases

  • dar una pista

    offer a clue

  • perder la pista

    lose the lead

Similar words

indicio: Subtle mark or indication that hints at an underlying fact without proving it.
evidencia: Documentary or physical proof strong enough to support legal claims or charges.
rastro: Visible remains such as footprints, stains, or disturbed ground showing passage.
señal: Observable cue or marker that communicates a message or denotes a condition.

Definition in Spanish

Señal o huella que sirve para seguir una investigación o llegar a una conclusión; según el contexto puede adquirir otros sentidos.

Word origin

From Italian pista 'track', with the concrete sense of a track or course extended in Spanish to mean a lead or hint used to follow an inquiry.

Usage tips

  • Watch for verbs that collocate with pista such as dar (dar una pista = give a clue) and seguir (seguir una pista = follow a lead), which indicate the investigative sense rather than a physical surface.

Other meanings

  • runwaynoun
  • courtnoun
  • tracknoun

Word lists with this word