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"Cepillo" is a form of "cepillo", a noun which is often translated as "brush". "Pala" is a noun which is often translated as "shovel". Learn more about the difference between "cepillo" and "pala" below.
el cepillo(
seh
-
pee
-
yoh
)A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
a. brush
Necesito pasar un cepillo por mi pelo antes de salir.I need to run a brush through my hair before leaving.
a. plane
El carpintero utiliza un cepillo para alisar la madera.The carpenter uses a plane to smooth the wood.
4. (charity)
a. collection plate
Ella echa un dólar al cepillo todos los domingos.She puts a dollar in the collection plate every Sunday.
b. collection bowl
No tenía suelto para echar al cepillo.I didn't have any change to put in the collection bowl.
la pala(
pah
-
lah
)A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
1. (tool)
a. shovel
Necesito una pala más grande para quitar la nieve de la puerta.I need a bigger shovel to remove the snow from the doorway.
c. dustpan (used with a broom or brush) (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
Tendrás que utilizar el cepillo y la pala para barrer porque la aspiradora no funciona.You'll have to use the broom and dustpan to sweep up as the vacuum cleaner isn't working.
2. (culinary)
a. spatula (for lifting or turning)
Te iría mejor comprar una pala de madera para no rayar la sartén.You'd be better off buying a wooden spatula so you don't scratch the frying pan.
c. fish knife (piece of cutlery)
A la hora de comer pescado, hay que tomar el tenedor con la mano izquierda y la pala con la derecha.When eating fish, you should hold the fork in your left hand and the fish knife in your right.
d. scoop (for sugar or flour)
Puedes usar una cuchara en lugar de una pala de azúcar.You could use a spoon instead of a sugar scoop.
f. peel (for pizza or bread)
Espolvoree un poco de harina sobre la pala de madera para que la masa de pizza no se pegue.Sprinkle some flour on the wooden peel so that the pizza dough doesn't stick.
a. paddle (table tennis or paddle tennis) (United States)
Regionalism used in the United States
La pala de ping-pong tiene que ser más ligera.The ping-pong paddle needs to be lighter.
b. bat (table tennis or paddle tennis) (United Kingdom)
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
La pala está muy desgastada de darle a la pelota.The bat is very worn from hitting the ball.
c. racket (frontenis)
Traen sus palas para jugar un par de partidas de frontenis.Bring your rackets so we can play a couple of rounds of frontenis.
4. (canoeing)
a. upper (part above sole)
Las palas de estos zapatos son de piel.The upper on these shoes is made of leather.
b. vamp (technical) (part covering front of foot)
A word or phrase that is only used by experts, professionals, or academics in a particular field (e.g., exposition).
La pala y la parte superior son sintéticas.The vamp and upper are synthetic.
7. (colloquial) (anatomy)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. (upper) front tooth
Cuando era pequeña, tenía unas palas enormes.When I was a child, my upper front teeth were enormous.
8. (colloquial) (guile)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
