Spanish word

vaina

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈbaina/

Meaning

  • feminine nountrouble

Example

Esa vaina me trajo muchos problemas.

That trouble caused me a lot of problems.

Illustration for vaina (trouble)

More examples

Arregla la vaina antes de salir.

Take care of the trouble before going out.

Core concept

A closed sheath trapping its contents.

Common phrases

  • vaya vaina

    what a pain

  • arreglar la vaina

    take care of the trouble

Similar words

cosa: Very general, unspecified item, event, or circumstance.
lío: Confused, tangled state causing persistent difficulty and disorder.
problema: Specific difficulty or obstacle that requires a solution or response.
rollo: Annoying, drawn-out situation that feels tedious or inconvenient.

Definition in Spanish

Término coloquial para referirse a una cosa o asunto que puede ser engorroso o problemático.

Word origin

From Latin vagina 'sheath', originally used in Old Spanish for containers and later extended in colonial spoken varieties to mean an annoying or bothersome thing.

Usage tips

  • A common colloquial filler in parts of the Caribbean and Andean regions that can mean either 'thing' or a hassle depending on tone and region, and it is unsuitable in formal speech.

Other meanings

  • bothernoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word