I recently visited Spain and asked for an extra cobija and the man corrected me and said that blanket was manta. Which is correct?

Question

On a recent trip to Spain I needed in another blanket on my bed and asked for a cobija to which he corrected me and said that blanket was called manta. Which is correct?

Answer 1

Neither is "correct" perse, but in Spain the vocabulary commonly used is different than in other Spanish speaking countries. (The same way that English is different in England, Australia, and America.) In peninsular Spanish we only use "la manta", but people generally understand you no matter what dialect of Spanish you use.

Answer 2

Cobija, I am surprised the guy understood, I would not have

we say manta over here, cobijo , we say that when we refer to shelter.

Answer 3

Cobija is correct, indeed. In many countries the word "frazada" is commonly used to mean blanket.

I have mostly heard "cobija" in Mexico.

Answer 4

I don't know the answer to that question with regards to Spain, but I do know that when I was going into my hotel in Santiago de Chile at 2am, the doorman asked me if I wanted an extra almohada (pillow) I said I didn't and went to bed.

I found out what it meant several weeks later!!

Answer 5

Cobija seems to be common in Mexico. (For what that's worth...)

• Mi abuelita decía "cobija" y se originó en el norte de México. - cristalino Feb 3, 2011

Answer 6

Well to be honest with you they both are correct becuase depending on which part of spain you are in you can say either or and they will understand what you say because la manta is a lighter type of blanket and cobija is a heavier type of blanket.

Answer 7

Cobija in Bogota, but manta would be fine, too.