A cute, sleepy puppy lying on a soft blue pillow with a small, shiny drop of drool coming from its mouth.

baba

bah-bah

nounfA2

drool?saliva coming out of the mouth

Also:slime?the trail left by snails or slugs,spittle?excessive saliva

📝 In Action

El bebé tiene un poco de baba en su camisa.

The baby has a little bit of drool on his shirt.

Ten cuidado, el perro dejó mucha baba en el suelo.

Be careful, the dog left a lot of drool on the floor.

Los caracoles dejan un rastro de baba cuando caminan.

Snails leave a trail of slime when they move.

Word Connections

Synonyms

saliva (saliva)

Antonyms

sequedad (dryness)

Common Collocations

limpiar la baba – to wipe away drool
rastro de baba – trail of slime

Idioms & Expressions

caérsele la baba – to be absolutely crazy about someone (usually a child or someone you admire) or to be totally captivated

💡 Grammar Points

Using 'La Baba'

This word is feminine, so always use 'la' or 'una'. Even though it's a bit gross, it's used very commonly in a sweet way with the phrase 'se le cae la baba' to show love.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Baba vs. Babero

Mistake: "Using 'baba' to mean the cloth a baby wears."

Correction: Use 'babero' (bib) for the cloth. 'Baba' is the actual liquid.

⭐ Usage Tips

Sounding Natural

Use 'caérsele la baba' when talking about a proud grandparent looking at their grandchild. It's the most common figurative use!

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: baba

Question 1 of 1

What does the phrase 'Se me cae la baba con mi sobrino' mean?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

babear(to drool) - verb

baboso(slimy or creepy) - adjective

babero(bib) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'baba' a rude word?

Not necessarily. While it refers to saliva, it is used neutrally for babies and pets, and affectionately in common idioms.