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"Pun" is a noun which is often translated as "el juego de palabras", and "play on words" is a phrase which is often translated as "juego de palabras". Learn more about the difference between "pun" and "play on words" below.
pun(
puhn
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. el juego de palabras (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).
His air freight company never really took off, if you'll excuse the pun.Su empresa de transporte aéreo nunca despegó, si me perdonan el juego de palabras.
Joe's opinion carries a lot of "weight," if you get the pun. - Was that a joke about Joe's weight? Because I don't find that funny.La opinión de Joe tiene mucho "peso", si captas el juego de palabras. - ¿Eso fue un chiste acerca del peso de Joe? Porque no me parece gracioso.
b. el retruécano (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).
People often made puns on his surname, which was Cranko.La gente a menudo hacía retruécanos sobre su apellido, que era Cranko.
c. el albur (M) (double entendre) (Mexico)
(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 Mexico
Do you understand Polo Polo's puns?¿Entiendes los albures de Polo Polo?
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
a. hacer juegos de palabras
All the crossword clues punned on names of composers.Todas las pistas del crucigrama hacían juegos de palabras sobre nombres de compositores.
b. hacer retruécanos
She was a wizard with words and loved punning.Era un genio con las palabras y le encantaba hacer retruécanos.
play on words(
pley
an
wuhrdz
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
1. (general)
a. juego de palabras
The title of the book is a play on words.El título del libro es un juego de palabras.
