vs
QUICK ANSWER
"Arañas" is a form of "arañar", a transitive verb which is often translated as "to scratch". "Animales" is a form of "animal", a noun which is often translated as "animal". Learn more about the difference between "arañas" and "animales" below.
arañar(
ah
-
rah
-
nyahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to graze)
a. to scratch
La valla metálica me arañó el brazo y tuve que ponerme la antitetánica.The metal fence scratched my arm and I had to get an anti-tetanus injection.
3. (colloquial) (figurative) (to struggle to obtain)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
A phrase used as a figure of speech or a word that is symbolic in meaning; metaphorical (e.g., carrot, bean).
a. to scrape together (money)
Arañamos todo el dinero que podemos para llegar a fin de mes.We scrape together all the money we can to make it to the end of the month.
b. to scrape (grade, pass, tie)
Por suerte, Juanita logró arañar un 4 en el examen.Luckily, Juanita managed to scrape a 4 in the exam.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. to scrape by (financially)
Nunca le pedía plata a su marido. Llevaba la casa arañando con lo que le daba.She never asked her husband for money. She ran the house by scraping by on what he gave her.
b. to scrape through (in an exam)
Había estudiado muy poco y aprobó arañando.She hadn't studied very much at all and just scraped through.
arañarse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
5. (to graze)
a. to scratch
Sergio se había arañado la mejilla así que le puse una curita.Sergio had scratched his cheek so I put a Band-Aid on it.
el animal, animal(
ah
-
nee
-
mahl
)A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
2. (colloquial) (uncivilized person)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. animal
¡Dejen de correr y gritar dentro de la casa, animales!Stop running and screaming inside the house, you animals!
b. brute
Animal, cierra la ventana con cuidado o la vas a romper.Easy on the window or you might break it, you brute.
c. lout
Lucía piensa que todos los jugadores de rugby son unos animales.Lucia thinks all rugby players are louts.
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
4. (colloquial) (rough)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. uncouth
¡Cristina es tan animal! No tiene cuidado con los vasos de vidrio.¡Cristina is so uncouth! She doesn't handle glasses with care.
6. (ignorant)
a. stupid
¡No seas animal! Los pingüinos viven en la Antártida, no en el Polo Norte.Don't be stupid! Penguins live in Antarctica, not in the North Pole.
