Spanish Conversation · Level 153
30 words
Spanish word
tonelada
Pronunciation
IPA/toneˈlaða/
Meaning
- feminine nounton
Example
El camión carga una tonelada de arena.
The truck is carrying a tonne of sand.
More examples
En verano hay toneladas de fruta en el mercado.
In summer there are tonnes of fruit at the market.
Core concept
A scale display reading 'tonelada' under a heavy load.
Common phrases
toneladas de
tons of
una tonelada y media
one and a half tons
Similar words
kilo: Everyday informal name for a kilogram, used when talking about weight.
peso: Measure expressing how heavy an object or person is.
kilogramo: Metric unit representing one kilogram (1 kg), used for precise weights.
montón: Casual term for a large amount or pile, often used informally.
Definition in Spanish
Indica una masa de mil kilogramos o, de manera figurada, una gran cantidad de algo.
Word origin
The word derives from tonel 'barrel' plus the suffix -ada, shifting from 'barrelful' to a standardized mass in modern metric usage.
Usage tips
- In written Spanish the abbreviation t is sometimes used for tonelada, and in everyday speech speakers also use the word figuratively to mean a very large quantity.