arma
“arma” means “weapon” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
weapon
Also: arm, gun
📝 In Action
El soldado llevaba un arma para protegerse.
A2The soldier carried a weapon to protect himself.
La policía encontró el arma del crimen en el parque.
B1The police found the murder weapon in the park.
Tener un arma de fuego requiere una licencia especial.
B2Having a firearm requires a special license.
he/she/you (formal) assemble(s)
Also: he/she/you (formal) arm(s), he/she/you (formal) cause(s) / stir(s) up
📝 In Action
Mi papá siempre arma los muebles que compramos.
B1My dad always assembles the furniture we buy.
Ella arma un rompecabezas cada fin de semana.
B1She puts together a puzzle every weekend.
¡No me grites! No quiero que la gente piense que usted arma un escándalo.
B2Don't shout at me! I don't want people to think you're making a scene.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: arma
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'arma' to mean a weapon?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'arma', which was a plural word meaning 'implements, tools, weapons'. It's the root for many related words in English, like 'army', 'armor', and 'armaments'.
First recorded: Around the 10th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do people say 'el arma' if 'arma' is a feminine word? Shouldn't it be 'la arma'?
Great question! This is a special rule in Spanish to make the language sound smoother. When a feminine word starts with a stressed 'a' sound (like in AR-ma), we use 'el' instead of 'la' in the singular form to avoid the two 'a' sounds clashing. But the word is still feminine! So in plural, it goes back to normal: 'las armas'.
How can I tell if 'arma' means 'weapon' or 'he/she assembles'?
Look at the words around it! If you see 'el' or 'un' before it (like 'el arma'), it's almost always the noun 'weapon'. If it comes after a person or thing (like 'Mi hermano arma...'), it's the verb 'assembles'. Context is your best friend!