Inklingo
← Dictionary

botella

/boh-TEH-yah/

bottle

A simple, clear glass bottle standing upright, partially filled with bright blue liquid, and sealed with a brown cork.

The most common meaning of botella is a container used for holding liquids.

botella(noun)

fA1

bottle

?

a container for liquids

Also:

flask

?

small, personal container

📝 In Action

Necesito comprar una botella de leche para el desayuno.

A1

I need to buy a bottle of milk for breakfast.

Esta botella de cristal está casi vacía; hay que reciclarla.

A2

This glass bottle is almost empty; we have to recycle it.

Por favor, no dejes botellas abiertas en la nevera.

A2

Please don't leave open bottles in the fridge.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • envase (container)

Common Collocations

  • botella de agua – water bottle
  • abrir la botella – to open the bottle
  • botella de plástico – plastic bottle

💡 Grammar Points

Feminine Gender

Even though it ends in '-a' (a common feminine ending), always pair 'botella' with feminine articles like 'la' or 'una', and feminine adjectives: 'la botella roja' (the red bottle).

⭐ Usage Tips

Different Types of Containers

Use 'botella' for containers with narrow necks. For wide-mouthed containers, you might use 'frasco' (jar/small bottle) or 'tarro' (jar/canister).

A crowded scene of many brightly colored cars stopped bumper-to-bumper on a road, illustrating a severe traffic jam or bottleneck.

In Spanish slang, particularly in Spain, botella can refer to a traffic jam or bottleneck.

botella(noun)

fB2

traffic jam

?

a bottleneck or obstruction (Spain only)

Also:

drinking spree/session

?

used when referring to heavy alcohol consumption in groups

📝 In Action

Cogimos una botella tremenda cerca de la capital y llegamos tarde.

B2

We hit a tremendous traffic jam near the capital and arrived late.

Se montó una botella grande en la fiesta después de medianoche.

B2

A big drinking session started at the party after midnight.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • atasco (traffic jam (general))

Idioms & Expressions

  • hacer botella – To cause or create a traffic bottleneck.

⭐ Usage Tips

Traffic in Spain

If you hear 'botella' used in relation to cars or roads in Spain, it almost certainly means the road has narrowed and caused a traffic obstruction (like a bottleneck).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: botella

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'botella' in its figurative meaning (not as a container)?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

botellón(large drinking gathering (informal, Spain)) - noun
embotellar(to bottle; to cause a jam) - verb
botellero(wine rack / bottle carrier) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

¿Es 'botella' siempre femenina?

Sí, 'botella' es un sustantivo femenino. Siempre debes usar 'la botella' o 'una botella' con él.

If I am in Latin America, will people understand 'botella' as a traffic jam?

No, that meaning is very specific to Spain. In most of Latin America, you should use words like 'tráfico' or 'atasco' for a traffic jam.