# Vocabulary Lists



## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

I am trying to increase my Spanish vocabulary especially for tools, building terms etc.
The trouble is that most of the lists I can find online are biased towards South American Spanish and not Peninsular Spanish or Castellano.
Although the vast majority of the words are the same there are some notable differences.
Does anyone know of a website where I can find purely Castellano vocabulary please.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

stevesainty said:


> I am trying to increase my Spanish vocabulary especially for tools, building terms etc.
> The trouble is that most of the lists I can find online are biased towards South American Spanish and not Peninsular Spanish or Castellano.
> Although the vast majority of the words are the same there are some notable differences.
> Does anyone know of a website where I can find purely Castellano vocabulary please.


Yep, difficult.
I can't find one. My suggestions would be to go to Leroy Merlin and the like and/ or get their catalogues and make your own list. Or if you have any Spanish neighbours pluck up courage, go round with an armful of tools and ask them. Could be fun.


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yep, difficult.
> I can't find one. My suggestions would be to go to Leroy Merlin and the like and/ or get their catalogues and make your own list. Or if you have any Spanish neighbours pluck up courage, go round with an armful of tools and ask them. Could be fun.


Great idea. You don't even need to go to the store, all their catalogues are online. I learned a whole load of new vocab when they did our new bathroom!


----------



## piersuk (Nov 13, 2015)

My daughter has got herself on a role with these online lessons, by chance there is one for tools. 

Tools (English/Spanish) PICTURE DICTIONARY 

The modern day flash cards I guess?


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

piersuk said:


> My daughter has got herself on a role with these online lessons, by chance there is one for tools.
> 
> Tools (English/Spanish) PICTURE DICTIONARY
> 
> The modern day flash cards I guess?


It's South American Spanish (and American English) with not too many differences to Spanish spoken here, but llave de boca for example is not normally used in Spain


----------



## xolo (May 25, 2014)

Not that it is part of the original question, but do you really mean _South_ American Spanish? That leaves out the most populous Spanish speaking country in the world! 

Are you sure that _llave de boca_ is not used in Spain? It sounds like a specialized term to distinguish different kinds of wrenches, and perhaps in colloquial speech would not be used? What's the term in Spain?

Real great list btw. love the pictures.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

xolo said:


> Not that it is part of the original question, but do you really mean _South_ American Spanish? That leaves out the most populous Spanish speaking country in the world!
> 
> Are you sure that _llave de boca_ is not used in Spain? It sounds like a specialized term to distinguish different kinds of wrenches, and perhaps in colloquial speech would not be used? What's the term in Spain?
> 
> Real great list btw. love the pictures.


Not sure what it is in Spain...... but in British English it isn't a wrench


----------



## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

xolo said:


> Not that it is part of the original question, but do you really mean _South_ American Spanish? That leaves out the most populous Spanish speaking country in the world!
> 
> Are you sure that _llave de boca_ is not used in Spain? It sounds like a specialized term to distinguish different kinds of wrenches, and perhaps in colloquial speech would not be used? What's the term in Spain?
> 
> Real great list btw. love the pictures.


Probably the most correct way of putting it is any Spanish variations that are not Castellano.

Thank you to all the contributors thus far. I have taken PW´s advice and am compiling a list from the catalogue of Leroy Merlin. I will publish the list on here for comment when I have sufficient items.

The wrenches that I have come across up to now are llave inglesa (English wrench) for monkey wrench and alicate de pico de loro (parrots beak pliers) for what I call a pipe wrench, more like adjustable pliers with 4 or 5 slots to accommodate different sizes of nuts. Oh and another interesting one is llave de bruijía which is a spark plug wrench.


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

stevesainty said:


> Probably the most correct way of putting it is any Spanish variations that are not Castellano.


Looking forward to seeing your list!

But Xolo is right, we should probably refer to American Spanish and Peninsular Spanish. They are both castellano but have different words for the same thing, similar to British English and American English.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xolo said:


> Not that it is part of the original question, but do you really mean _South_ American Spanish? That leaves out the most populous Spanish speaking country in the world!
> Point taken
> Are you sure that _llave de boca_ is not used in Spain? It sounds like a specialized term to distinguish different kinds of wrenches, and perhaps in colloquial speech would not be used? What's the term in Spain?
> The term for spanner/ wrench can be seen in Steve's answer post 8
> Real great list btw. love the pictures.


Yes there are lots of different kinds of spanners but llave inglesa is the generic term


----------



## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

It took me ages to remember the word for cement mixer , now we have one I wont remember it again. Our builders yard are great fun and ts been good seeing our Spanish improve over the year , we use more words and less drawings now !


----------



## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

Here is the first draft, I am open to opinions, corrections and omissions. 

amoladora	-	angle grinder
enrollacables	-	cable reel
cincel	-	chisel
Sargento	-	clamp
palanca	-	crowbar
hormigonera	-	cement mixer
taladro	-	electric drill
taladro percutor	-	hammer drill
brocas	-	drill bits
brocas planas	-	flat drill bits
grabador	-	engraver
talocha	-	plasterers float
fratás	-	builders float
escofina	-	rasp or a file for wood
lima	-	file for metal
lima/escofina media caña	-	half round
lima/escofina plana	-	plain
lima/escofina redonda	-	round
lima/escofina cuadrada	-	square
lima/escofina triangular	-	triangular
cola	-	glue, adhesive
pistola de encolar	-	glue gun
martillo	-	hammer
martillo de bola	-	ball pein hammer
decapadora	-	heat gun
maza	-	sledgehammer
mazo	-	mallet
mazo caucho	-	rubber mallet
varilla mezcladora	-	mixing stick
tuercas mariposa	-	butterfly nuts
claves	-	nails
claves cabeza ancha	-	clout nails (wide head nails for roofing felt)
claves cabeza perdida	-	panel pins (lost/hidden head)
claves estriada	-	ribbed nails
claves roscado	-	threaded nails
grapa	-	staple
grapa manguera	-	cable cleats
grapa clip	-	pipe cleat
grapadora	-	nail gun
alicates	-	pliers
alicates aislados	-	insulated pliers
cortadores alambres	-	wire cutters
alicates de corte	-	wire cutters
tenaza	-	pincers
lápiz	-	pencil
navaja	-	penknife
plomada	-	plumb bob, plumb line
fresadora	-	router
sierra	-	saw
serrucho	-	handsaw
serrucho de costilla	-	tenon saw
sierra de arco	-	hacksaw
sierra de marquetería	-	coping saw
sierra de calar	-	Jigsaw
tronzadora	-	chop saw
sierra circular	-	circular saw
llave	-	spanner
llave combinada	-	combination spanner (plain and ring)
llave de estrella	-	ring spanner
llave ajustable	-	adjustable spanner
llave de carraca	-	ratchet spanner
llave inglesa	-	monkey wrench
alicates pico de loro	-	pipe wrench
llave de buijía	-	spark plug wrench
llaves pipa	-	pipe spanner (look like smoker´s pipe-used on nuts)
llaves de vaso	-	socket set
juego	-	set (as in set of spanners)
llaves Allen	-	Allen keys
llaves Allen navaja	-	folding Allen keys
destornillador	-	screwdriver
destornillador aislado	-	insulated screwdriver
destornillador recta	-	straight screwdriver
destornillador cruciforme	-	cross head screwdriver
destornillador torx	-	star head screwdriver
destornillador de carraca	-	ratchet screwdriver
destornillador-atornillador	-	electric screwdriver
tornillos	-	screws
tornillo autorroscante	-	self-tapping screw
tornillos prisionero	-	grub screws
tornillos sin cabeza	-	grub screws
tornillos	-	bolts
tornillos tirafondo	-	lag bolts (for heavy lumber or concrete)
tornillos cabeza redondo	-	round head bolts
tornillos cuello cuadrado	-	square necked bolts
tuercas	-	nuts
rascador	-	scraper
rascador mango	-	hob scraper (adjustable scraper)
lijadora orbital	-	orbital sander
escuadra	-	square
espatula	-	squeegee or wallpaper scraper or putty knife etc.
cúter	-	Stanley knife
machos y cojinetes	-	tap and die set
cinta medidora	-	tape measure
paleta	-	trowel
escalera	-	ladder
escalera escamonteable	-	retractable ladder (loft)
escalera peldaños	-	step ladder
andamio	-	scaffolding


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Wow, that's quite a list you've put together. You've got a lot of DIY to do by the looks of things and a lot of learning to do as well!!

Could be a good one for the stickies??


----------



## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

La Palanca , a word I needed today when we bought tyre levers. I didnt know the word but described it as a tool to remove tyres on a motorbike as we were in a motorbike shop , it worked ! 

Also to add that if you are looking for grout , it is cola , described as adhesive , glue on the list , thanks for the lsit its really helpful ;-)


----------



## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

That's a fine list!

Don't forget to add la hucha. Not a tool as such, but still essential for proper builders, and somewhere to keep your pencil I suppose. (It's builder's bum)


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Maureen47 said:


> La Palanca , a word I needed today when we bought tyre levers. I didnt know the word but described it as a tool to remove tyres on a motorbike as we were in a motorbike shop , it worked !
> 
> Also to add that if you are looking for grout , it is cola , described as adhesive , glue on the list , thanks for the lsit its really helpful ;-)


Pretty sure that cola is just adhesive here and not grout. When doing our kitchen floor we were asked if we wanted "la juntas" coloured or left white -ish which is not the same as referring to the actual material, but still.


----------



## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Grout is tapajuntas I think.


----------



## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

jimenato said:


> Grout is tapajuntas I think.


Leroy Merlin has grout down as just "Junta"

other words for glue are

adhesivo
pegamento (stickers and post it notes)(from the verb pegar - to stick)

strangely, with reference to glue gun, pistol de encolar, encolar is the verb to queue.

Whereas the verb colar has got nothing to do with glue but is one of those multi use verbs that means to strain or filter, tea or coffee, to whiten, as in bleach, to make up, as in pretend, to pass, as in give someone a note, to smuggle, to cast as in a mould or, coloquially, to sneak in somewhere.


----------



## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

jimenato said:


> Grout is tapajuntas I think.


For tiling, grout is "lechada".


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Why have just one word for grout when you can have loads... As for me, I shudder at the sight of a wrench but smile at the sight of a wench (which, in case you didn't know, is a female wrench)...


----------



## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

Overandout said:


> For tiling, grout is "lechada".


Although lechada is a translation for grout, I believe that is an old word that has its stem from leche, milk, and can mean whitewash.

Leroy Merlin, I am not an expert linguist and so all my "tools" and DIY words have been gleaned from their catalogue, has a search for "lechada", there is only one product that calls itself lechada, a specialist product for areas requiring high absorption. All the rest are called junta, especially for different colours


----------



## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

I'm wondering if some of these terms are localised...


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

jimenato said:


> I'm wondering if some of these terms are localised...


I was going to say the same, and I think there is the possibility for a lot of South/ Latin/ Central/ Going south from the border of the US of A (think I've covered it there) expressions


----------



## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

stevesainty said:


> Although lechada is a translation for grout, I believe that is an old word that has its stem from leche, milk, and can mean whitewash.
> 
> Leroy Merlin, I am not an expert linguist and so all my "tools" and DIY words have been gleaned from their catalogue, has a search for "lechada", there is only one product that calls itself lechada, a specialist product for areas requiring high absorption. All the rest are called junta, especially for different colours


When my swimming pool needs re-grouting, I get a quote for a 'lechada'.

There are more uses for the word here:

http://http://www.linguee.es/espanol-ingles/search?source=auto&query=lechada


----------

