rompecabezas-plural?

Question

My spanish 2 lesson book shows rompecabezas as plural (jigsaw puzzles}. Another site shows el rompecabezas as puzzle. My question, should it be "los rombecabezas" or should it show 2 meanings as:

el rompecabeza 1. jigsaw puzzle 2. a puzzle (problem}

Gracias

Answer 1

El rompecabezas means 'a single jigsaw puzzle' and los rompecabezas means 'the jigsaw puzzles' (plural).

• "Rompecabezas" can mean any type of puzzle. - --Mariana-- May 2, 2010
• Marianne, I don't think it means any type of puzzle since crucigramas is a crossword puzzle. - foxluv May 2, 2010

Answer 2

I agree with macfadden. You have to appreciate the dictionary compiler's problem since he's limited to a single letter to show that a substantive is either singular or plural and "e" for "either" is thrown out as invalid.

Answer 3

Yo tengo un rompecabezas

Yo tengo dos rompecabezas

Answer 4

I also concur with MacFadden rompecabezas is one of the random words I give to my spanish I students. I teach it as el rompecabezs or los rompecabezas.

• You might want to correct the spelling for the singular. - samdie May 2, 2010