Spanish word

porcelana

Pronunciation

IPA/poɾθeˈlana/

Meaning

  • feminine nounporcelain

Example

¿La taza es de porcelana?

Is the cup made of porcelain?

Illustration for porcelana (porcelain)

More examples

El museo exhibe una figura de porcelana antigua.

The museum exhibits an antique porcelain figurine.

Core concept

Thin white ceramic that transmits light slightly and has a glassy finish.

Common phrases

  • taza de porcelana

    porcelain cup

  • plato de porcelana

    porcelain plate

  • juego de porcelana

    porcelain set

Similar words

cerámica: General family of objects formed from clay and fired, from tiles to pots and vessels.
loza: Thicker, sturdy pottery fired for everyday dishes and kitchen use.
vajilla: Coordinated set of plates, bowls, cups and serving pieces for meals.
barro: Soft, malleable wet clay dug from the ground used as raw material for pottery.

Definition in Spanish

Material cerámico blanco y fino, valorado por su aspecto translúcido y su uso en vajillas y objetos de adorno.

Word origin

The Spanish word comes via Italian porcellana, whose original sense was a cowrie shell and was extended to ceramics by analogy with the shell's luster.

Usage tips

  • The noun is feminine (la porcelana) and the stress falls on the penultimate syllable: por-ce-LA-na, a common pronunciation pitfall for English speakers.

Opposites

  • lozaearthenwarenoun

Related words

  • porcelánicoporcelainadjective

Word lists with this word