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"Joke" is a noun which is often translated as "la broma", and "gag" is a noun which is often translated as "la mordaza". Learn more about the difference between "joke" and "gag" below.
joke(
jok
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
1. (jest)
2. (colloquial) (inept person)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. el hazmerreír (M), la hazmerreír (F) (colloquial)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
The democratic candidate said publicly that the president is a joke.El candidato democrático dijo en público que el presidente es un hazmerreír.
3. (colloquial) (farce)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
The final exam was a joke. I finished it in ten minutes.El examen final fue ridículo. Lo acabé en diez minutos.
This article is such a joke. The facts are all wrong and there's a clear bias.Este artículo es inútil. Los datos no son correctos y hay un marcado sesgo.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. contar chistes
Mariel is popular with her classmates because she's always joking and laughing.Mariel es popular con sus compañeros de clase porque nunca para de contar chistes y reírse.
gag(
gahg
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. la mordaza (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The police took the gag out of the hostage's mouth.El policía quitó la mordaza de la boca del rehén.
2. (figurative) (legal)
A phrase used as a figure of speech or a word that is symbolic in meaning; metaphorical (e.g., carrot, bean).
a. la mordaza (F) (figurative)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
A phrase used as a figure of speech or a word that is symbolic in meaning; metaphorical (e.g., carrot, bean).
The judge put a gag on the plaintiff until the case was resolved.El juez le puso una mordaza al demandante hasta que se resolviera el caso.
3. (joke)
b. la broma (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The class played a gag on their teacher, but he didn't know it was meant to be a gag.La clase le hizo una broma al maestro, pero él no sabía que se suponía que fuera una broma.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. amordazar
The kidnappers gagged the journalist with tape.Los secuestradores amordazaron al periodista con cinta.
5. (figurative) (to silence)
A phrase used as a figure of speech or a word that is symbolic in meaning; metaphorical (e.g., carrot, bean).
a. amordazar (figurative)
A phrase used as a figure of speech or a word that is symbolic in meaning; metaphorical (e.g., carrot, bean).
The candidate said that private interests are gagging the media.El candidato dijo que hay intereses particulares que están amordazando los medios.
b. silenciar
The government tried to gag the whistleblower.El gobierno intentó silenciar al denunciante.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
6. (to retch)
a. tener arcadas
If you don't stop talking about how wonderful your boyfriend is, I'm going to gag.Si no dejas de hablar sobre lo maravilloso que es tu novio, voy a tener arcadas.
b. sentir náuseas
When I saw all the blood from Sean's bloody nose, it made me gag.Cuando vi la sangre que salía de la nariz de Sean, me hizo sentir náuseas.
a. atragantarse con
I almost gagged on the banana because I ate it so fast.Casí me atraganté con el plátano por comerlo tan rápido.
