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"Surco" is a form of "surco", a noun which is often translated as "furrow". "Paja" is a noun which is often translated as "straw". Learn more about the difference between "surco" and "paja" below.
el surco(
soor
-
koh
)
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
masculine noun
a. furrow
El granjero hizo un surco con el arado.The farmer dug a furrow with a plow.
a. wake
Vimos delfines saltando en el surco que dejaba el barco.We saw dolphins jumping in the ship's wake.
a. rut
Los bandidos siguieron los surcos que dejaron las ruedas del vagón.The bandits followed the ruts left by the wagon wheels.
a. track
La nieve cubrió rápidamente los surcos que dejó el trineo.The tracks that the sled left behind were quickly covered by snow.
b. groove
Los vinilos tienen un surco en forma de espiral en cada cara.Vinyl records have one spiral groove per side.
a. wrinkle
Tiene 50 años, pero casi no se ven surcos en su rostro.She's 50 years old, but has barely any wrinkles on her face.
b. furrow (on the forehead)
El surco en su frente reflejaba que estaba preocupado.The furrow in his brow revealed that he was troubled.
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la paja(
pah
-
hah
)
A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
feminine noun
a. straw
El cerdito hizo su casa de paja, pero el lobo la derribó.The little pig made his house out of straw, but the wolf blew it down.
b. hay
Nuestro caballo tiene una dieta constante de paja y verduras frescas.Our horse has a regular diet of hay and fresh vegetables.
a. straw
Ella prefiere beber con una paja para evitar que el hielo entre en su boca.She prefers to drink through a straw to prevent ice from going into her mouth.
a. filler
La mayoría del diario gratis es solo paja.Most of the free newspaper is just filler.
4.
A word or phrase that is crude, indecent, and generally rejected by society.
(vulgar)
(act of masturbation)
a. hand job
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
Su novia le hizo una paja.His girlfriend gave him a hand job.
b. wank
A word or phrase that is crude, indecent, and generally rejected by society.
(vulgar)
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
(United Kingdom)
Pepe se hizo una paja en el parque.Pepe had a wank in the park.
c.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
¿Te acabas de hacer una paja?Did you just jerk off?
Rodolfo está arriba haciéndose una paja.Rodolfo's upstairs jerking off.
5.
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
(bore) (River Plate)
a. drag
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
El lunes empiezan las clases. ¡Qué paja!School starts next Monday. What a drag!
b.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
Llovía tanto que nos dio paja ir a la fiesta y nos quedamos en casa.It was raining so hard we didn't feel like going to the party so we stayed home.
¿Quién puede sacar a pasear al perro? A mí me da paja.Who can take the dog out for a walk? I can't be bothered.
6. (nonsense)
Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
(Central America)
Regionalism used in Mexico
(Mexico)
a. junk
No le hagas caso. Habla mucha paja.Don't pay attention to him. He talks a lot of junk.
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