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bandeja

bahn-DEH-hahbanˈdexa

tray

Also: platter, salver
NounfA1
Mexico / Central America
A simple wooden serving tray holding a white teacup filled with hot tea and a small cookie.

📝 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)

tray

Also: cassette, drawer
NounfB1
The open paper input compartment of a generic office machine, clearly holding a stack of white paper.

📝 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

overhead slice

Also: tray shot
NounfB2specialized
A padel or tennis player executing an overhead shot, hitting the ball while their arm is extended high above their head.

📝 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

Translate to Spanish

✏️ 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
🎵 Rhymes▼
ovejamadeja
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the older Spanish word 'banda' (strip or side), possibly influenced by Catalan 'bandeja'. The meaning evolved from a simple flat surface or strip to the common serving object we know today.

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: bandejaCatalan: safata

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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').