Spanish Conversation · Level 104
59 words
Spanish word
tapia
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈtapja/
Meaning
- feminine nounearthen wall
Example
La tapia junto a la iglesia es muy alta.
The earthen wall next to the church is very tall.
More examples
Los niños subieron a la tapia para hablar con su vecino.
The children climbed the earthen wall to talk to their neighbor.
Core concept
Low garden wall built from tamped earth.
Common phrases
la tapia del jardín
earthen garden wall
subir a la tapia
scale the earthen wall
Similar words
muro: Robust wall, usually masonry, that provides structural separation or protection.
pared: Plain wall of a building's interior or exterior, serving as its surface or partition.
valla: Perimeter fence usually of wood or metal, used to mark or protect an area.
tapial: Formed-earth wall constructed by ramming soil into wooden forms to build vertical sections.
Definition in Spanish
Pared baja hecha de tierra apisonada que sirve para cerrar patios, jardines o delimitar propiedades.
Word origin
Cognate with Portuguese taipa and part of Iberian Romance vocabulary, the word comes from the name of the technique of tamping earth into molds to enclose spaces.
Usage tips
- Often appears in travel or regional contexts to evoke traditional landscapes, so expect tapia in place descriptions rather than in neutral, everyday talk about walls.
Other meanings
- adobe wallnoun