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"Bola" is a form of "bola", a noun which is often translated as "ball". "Palo" is a noun which is often translated as "stick". Learn more about the difference between "palo" and "bola" below.
el palo(
pah
-
loh
)A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
2. (rod)
a. post
La valla se cayó con el viento porque los palos no estaban anclados al suelo.The fence fell down in the wind because the posts weren't fixed into the ground.
b. pole
No pude clavar los palos de la tienda de campaña porque el suelo está congelado.I couldn't nail down the poles of the tent because the ground is frozen.
c. handle (of a tool)
Me clavé una astilla del palo del martillo.I got a splinter from the hammer handle.
3. (sports)
a. post
El jugador chutó el balón, pero le dio al palo.The player shot the ball, but it hit the post.
4. (nautical)
a. mast
Un miembro de la tripulación subió al palo del barco.One of the crew members climbed the mast of the ship.
5. (material)
a. wooden
Usa una cuchara de palo para que no rayes la cacerola.Use a wooden spoon so you don't scratch the pan.
6. (cards)
a. suit
El palo de la carta que se vuelva será el triunfo.The suit of the card that is turned up will be trumps.
7. (botany) (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
a. tree
En otoño, mi jardÃn está lleno de hojas de los palos.In fall, my garden is full of leaves from the trees.
8. (hit)
a. blow
Recibà un palo en la cabeza y cuando recobré el sentido, descubrà que me habÃan robado.I received a blow to the head, and when I came around, I discovered that somebody had robbed me.
9. (colloquial) (bummer) (Spain)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Spain
a. blow
La pérdida de su trabajo fue un palo difÃcil de superar.The loss of his job was a hard blow to recover from.
10. (typography)
11. (colloquial) (beverage) (Puerto Rico) (Venezuela)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Puerto Rico
Regionalism used in Venezuela
a. drink
Te invito a un palo para festejar mi cumpleaños.I'll buy you a drink to celebrate my birthday.
12. (music)
13. (vulgar) (sex) (Mexico)
A word or phrase that is crude, indecent, and generally rejected by society.
Regionalism used in Mexico
a. screw
Él no te ama, solo quiere echar un palo.He doesn't love you; he just wants to have a screw.
14. (colloquial) (intensifier; used with "de") (Colombia) (Venezuela)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Colombia
Regionalism used in Venezuela
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Se compró un palo de carro con el dinero que ganó en la loterÃa.He bought the car of cars with the money he won from the lottery.
Cayó un palo de agua que inundó las calles.The pouring rain flooded the streets.
la bola(
boh
-
lah
)A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
2. (sports)
a. ball
Los niños están jugando con una bola en el parque.The kids are playing with a ball in the park.
3. (culinary)
4. (games)
a. boules
Los viejitos franceses jugaban bola en el jardÃn.The elderly Frenchmen played boules in the garden.
5. (polish)
a. shoe polish
Necesito comprar bola para pulir mis botas.I need to buy shoe polish to shine my boots.
6. (colloquial) (gossip)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. rumor
No andes divulgando bolas si no quieres que piensen mal de ti.Don't go around spreading rumors if you don't want people to think poorly of you.
7. (colloquial) (lie)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. fib (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Mi hermano le dijo una bola a mi mamá.My brother told my mom a fib.
8. (colloquial) (group) (Mexico)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Mexico
las bolas
A plural noun indicates that there is more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
