Spanish Conversation · Level 141
43 words
Spanish word
topo
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈtopo/
Meaning
- masculine nounmole
Example
¿Has visto un topo en el jardín?
Have you seen a mole in the garden?
More examples
El topo salió de su túnel al atardecer.
The mole came out of its tunnel at dusk.
Core concept
Small burrowing mammal that digs tunnels underground.
Common phrases
ver un topo
see a mole
un topo en el jardín
a mole in the garden
túnel de topo
mole tunnel
Similar words
ratón: Small rodent that lives in houses or outdoors.
Definition in Spanish
Animal mamífero que cava galerías bajo tierra; en sentido figurado, persona que actúa como informante o infiltrado.
Word origin
From Latin talpa; the animal name entered Spanish as topo and then developed a figurative sense for someone who lives or works concealed underground.
Usage tips
- In news and everyday talk topo often means a secret informant rather than the literal animal, and the collocation color topo names a taupe shade.
Other meanings
- informantnoun
- taupenoun