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botella

boh-TEH-yah/boˈteʎa/

“botella” means “bottle” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

bottle

Also: flask
NounfA1
A simple, clear glass bottle standing upright, partially filled with bright blue liquid, and sealed with a brown cork.

📝 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

traffic jam

Also: drinking spree/session
NounfB2 informal
Spain
A crowded scene of many brightly colored cars stopped bumper-to-bumper on a road, illustrating a severe traffic jam or bottleneck.

📝 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.

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "botella" in Spanish:

bottle→flask→traffic jam→

✏️ 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
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word traveled through French, coming from the Old French word 'bouteille'. This ultimately traces back to the Late Latin term 'butticula', which was a diminutive (a small version) of 'buttina' meaning 'cask' or 'small barrel'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: bouteillePortuguese: botelha

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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.