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"Mechanical pencil" is a noun which is often translated as "el portaminas", and "pencil" is a noun which is often translated as "el lápiz". Learn more about the difference between "mechanical pencil" and "pencil" below.
mechanical pencil(
muh
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kah
-
nih
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kuhl
pehn
-
suhl
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
1. (general)
a. el portaminas (M)
(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).
Mom, I need a mechanical pencil, a ruler, a compass, and an eraser for tomorrow's drawing class.Mamá, necesito un portaminas, una regla, un compás y una goma de borrar para la clase de dibujo de mañana.
b. el lápiz mecánico (M)
(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).
I lost my mechanical pencil, and now I have to use a wooden one.Perdí mi lápiz mecánico y ahora tengo que usar uno de madera.
pencil(
pehn
-
suhl
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
b. el lapicero (M) (Spain)
(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).
Regionalism used in Spain
I need to sharpen my pencils.Necesito sacarle punta a mis lapiceros.
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
2. (to write)
a. apuntar
There were several notes penciled in the margins of the book.Había varias notas apuntadas en los márgenes del libro.
a. dibujar a lápiz
She was sitting in the park, penciling a sketch of a bird.Estaba sentada en el parque, dibujando a lápiz un boceto de un pájaro.