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"Cacho" is a form of "cacho", a noun which is often translated as "bit". "Asta" is a noun which is often translated as "flagpole". Learn more about the difference between "cacho" and "asta" below.
el cacho(
kah
-
choh
)A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
1. (colloquial) (small chunk)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. bit (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Me senté en el banco de la plaza a tirarles cachos de pan a las palomas.I sat on the park bench and threw bits of bread to the pigeons.
b. piece
Arranqué un cacho de tela del viejo mantel y lo usé para lustrar los muebles.I tore a piece of cloth from the old tablecloth and used it to polish the furniture.
2. (colloquial) (used as intensifier)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. damn (colloquial) (United States)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in the United States
¡Quítate del medio de la carretera, cacho idiota!Get off the middle of the road, you damn fool!
b. bloody (colloquial) (United Kingdom)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
¡Al fin llega el cacho autobús!The bloody bus is finally coming!
3. (anatomy) (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
a. horn
El toro levantó al matador con sus cachos y lo arrojó por los aires.The bull tossed the matador into the air with its horns.
4. (container) (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
a. drinking horn
El rey levantó su cacho lleno de vino e hizo un brindis.The king raised his drinking horn full of wine and made a toast.
5. (dice cup) (South America)
Regionalism used in South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela
a. shaker
Cada jugador tiene que tener cinco dados en el cacho.Each player must have five dice in their shakers.
6. (game) (South America)
Regionalism used in South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela
a. cacho
En Bolivia, jugamos a un juego de dados similar a la generala llamado cacho.In Bolivia, we played a dice game similar to Yahtzee called Cacho.
a. bunch
Compré una sandía, cinco naranjas y un cacho de banana.I bought a watermelon, five oranges, and a bunch of bananas.
a. funny story
Cuéntanos otra vez ese cacho en el que corrías desnudo por la calle.Tell us that funny story about you running naked in the street again.
a. nuisance
Esa mesa en el medio del pasillo es un cacho.That table in the middle of the hallway is a nuisance.
10. (colloquial) (drug) (Colombia)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Colombia
a. joint (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
La policía arrestó a Carlos por fumar un cacho en la calle.The police arrested Carlos for smoking a joint on the street.
b. spliff (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
¿Vas a fumarte un cacho? - No, es un cigarrillo armado hecho con tabaco.Are you going to smoke a spliff? - No, it's a rolled tobacco cigarette.
el asta(
ahs
-
tah
)A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
1. (pole)
a. flagpole
Durante la ceremonia, las autoridades izaron la bandera nacional en el asta del palacio.During the ceremony, the authorities ran the national flag up the palace flagpole.
b. mast
La bandera debe enarbolarse en un asta blanca e izarse al tope.The flag should be flown on a white mast, and run up as far as it will go.
2. (handgrip)
a. handle (for paintbrushes)
El niño no sabía qué pintar y estaba mordiendo el asta del pincel.The little boy didn't know what to paint and was chewing the handle of his paintbrush.
3. (shank)
a. shaft (of lance or spear)
Los indígenas usaban caña para hacer las astas de sus flechas.The indigenous people used to make the shafts of their spears out of canes.
4. (zoology)
a. horn (of a bull)
Una vez vi un toro herir a un torero con sus astas.I once saw a bull gore a bullfighter with its horns.
b. antler (of a deer)
A juzgar por el tamaño de las astas, ese venado es aún bastante joven.Judging by the size of its antlers, that stag is still quite young.
