Inklingo
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bandeja

/bahn-DEH-hah/

tray

A simple wooden serving tray holding a white teacup filled with hot tea and a small cookie.

A simple serving tray (bandeja) used for carrying food and drinks.

bandeja(Noun)

fA1

tray

?

for serving food or drinks

Also:

platter

?

a large serving dish

,

salver

?

formal/silver tray

📝 In Action

El camarero trajo el café en una pequeña bandeja de plata.

A1

The waiter brought the coffee on a small silver tray.

Por favor, pon todos los vasos sucios en la bandeja antes de llevarlos a la cocina.

A2

Please put all the dirty glasses on the tray before taking them to the kitchen.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • fuente (serving dish/platter)
  • charola (tray (common in Mexico))

Common Collocations

  • bandeja de entrada – inbox (email)
  • bandeja de salida – outbox (email)

💡 Grammar Points

Gender Reminder

Remember that 'bandeja' is always feminine, requiring feminine articles and adjectives: la bandeja, una bandeja grande.

⭐ Usage Tips

Context Tip

While 'bandeja' usually means a serving tray, when talking about email, 'bandeja de entrada' is the standard way to say 'inbox'.

The open paper input compartment of a generic office machine, clearly holding a stack of white paper.

This type of compartment, like a paper feeder in a machine, is also called a tray (bandeja).

bandeja(Noun)

fB1

tray

?

compartment in a machine

Also:

cassette

?

printer paper holder

,

drawer

?

removable compartment

📝 In Action

La impresora tiene una bandeja de papel atascada.

B1

The printer has a jammed paper tray.

Necesitas la herramienta especial para abrir la bandeja de la tarjeta SIM del teléfono.

B2

You need the special tool to open the phone's SIM card tray.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • compartimento (compartment)

Common Collocations

  • bandeja de CD/DVD – CD/DVD drive tray
  • bandeja de entrada – inbox

⭐ Usage Tips

Technical Usage

When talking about electronics or office equipment, 'bandeja' refers to any flat, pull-out holder for items like paper, CDs, or memory cards.

A padel or tennis player executing an overhead shot, hitting the ball while their arm is extended high above their head.

In tennis or padel, this specific overhead slicing shot is known as the overhead slice (bandeja).

bandeja(Noun)

fB2

overhead slice

?

tennis/padel shot

Also:

tray shot

?

direct translation of the shot type

📝 In Action

El jugador ejecutó una bandeja perfecta para ganar el punto en la red.

B2

The player executed a perfect overhead slice (bandeja) to win the point at the net.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • hacer una bandeja – to execute a bandeja shot

⭐ Usage Tips

Sports Context

If you hear 'bandeja' in a tennis or padel match, it refers to a specific, usually defensive, overhead volley that keeps the ball low and deep.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: bandeja

Question 1 of 2

Which meaning of 'bandeja' is used when talking about sending an email?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

banda(strip, side, band) - noun
bandejeo(continuous use of the bandeja shot (padel)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'bandeja' only used for food?

No. While its most common use is for serving food (like a cafeteria tray or a silver platter), it is also the standard term for a compartment in a printer, a CD player, or your phone's SIM card holder. It also has a special meaning in racket sports like padel and tennis.

How do I say 'inbox' in Spanish?

The standard term is 'bandeja de entrada' (literally, 'entry tray').