Difference between maquina and aparato?

Question

I always seem to get this wrong...does it depend on the individual appliance or are there broad guidelines like, 'aparato' for medical equipment etcetera?

Answer 1

I am going to use Daniela's entry:

Do all those named on that picture qualify as "gadgets"?

Annie: I asked because I wasn't sure. I just checked the dictionaries and they all state "small" mechanical or electronic device.

Interesting!

In Spanish all of those are aparatos (apparatus/appliance) but some are also machines.

Well, I know that they all quailfy as "aparatos" in the textbooks. The English word "gadget" can mean most anything. :) - Daniela2041, Aug 21, 2015

It seems that very few are voting today, we both needed votes so here's mine. - Daniela2041, Aug 21, 2015

Hola, amigos. - sanlee, Aug 21, 2015

No, gadgets are usually fairly small, I don't think the fridge could be called agadget. However, I'm not sure. - annierats, Aug 21, 2015

Right, a fridge would not be called a gadget. Only small things, really. - rac1, Aug 21, 2015

Answer 2

I've heard máquina can also be used for a very organised, efficient person, in which case perhaps an efficient dwarf would be aparato ...

I think in Italian macchina is used for car. In Scotland we use motor for car, which I guess is similar...

Lo grande es una máquina pero quizás lo otro sea un aparato...

I'm pretty sure R2-D2 does the hoovering in the Millenium Falcon... ;-) - Faldaesque, Aug 21, 2015

lol, good answer , Falda. - annierats, Aug 21, 2015

Answer 3

Todas las latinas sabemos que las cosas que usamos para ayudarnos a hacer nuestros quehaceres de casa son los "aparatos domésticos"

All of us Latin women know that the things that we use to help us perform our household chores are caled "domestic appliances"

Please read my entry. - chileno, Aug 21, 2015

Nice picture, Dani. - sanlee, Aug 21, 2015

I like it Dani, more machines, more time for me to spend on SD! - annierats, Aug 21, 2015

Answer 4

I agree with Gringo that aparatos are usually smaller, aparatitos. For example the lawn-mower is without a doubt a maquina de cortar césped, a moto-sierra is a maquina but an electric razor seems to be both an aparatito and a maquina...And an ordinary razor is a maquinilla.. Generally, noisy things are maquinas, I would say, although a radio is un aparato, however loud and annoying.

La radio es un aparato y no una máquina. - chileno, Aug 21, 2015

Yes, that's what I'm saying, a potentially noisy aparato.. - annierats, Aug 21, 2015

Answer 5

Thanks for the interesting question.

Looking at the definitions there seems to be a lot of overlap. I think of a máquina as having a motor or engine, but a typewritter destroys that idea. While at the same time I think of an aparato as being something small and operated by hand.

Just my take on it.

And any gadget you don't know the name of can be called an aparatito.. - annierats, Aug 20, 2015

Answer 6

Hey guys, thanks for all your takes.