Spanish Conversation · Level 162
29 words
Spanish word
tallar
Pronunciation
IPA/taˈʝaɾ/
Meaning
- verbcarve
Example
Ella talla una figura en madera.
She carves a figure out of wood.
More examples
Mi abuelo solía tallar a mano pequeños juguetes de madera.
My grandfather used to carve small wooden toys by hand.
Core concept
Shaping a figure by removing material with a chisel.
Common phrases
tallar madera
carve wood
tallar a mano
carve by hand
Similar words
esculpir: Hollows and fashions wood or stone into a statue or sculptural form.
grabar: Cuts fine grooves or marks into a surface to record a design or text.
pulir: Abrades or buffs a surface until it becomes smooth and glossy.
labrar: Shapes raw material with tools to produce forms or ornamental designs.
Definition in Spanish
Hacer cortes o incisiones en un material para revelar o formar una figura, diseño o textura; también emplearse de forma reflexiva para indicar que alguien se frota una parte del cuerpo.
Word origin
Spanish tallar derives from Latin talea 'cut branch' via Vulgar Latin and Iberian Romance, preserving the sense of cutting or scraping away material to shape figures or textures.
Usage tips
- In craft contexts tallar denotes shaping wood or stone by removing material, while the reflexive tallarse commonly means rubbing part of the body, so the presence of se signals a different meaning.