botón
/boh-TOHN/
button
El botón de una camisa es un tipo de cierre.
📝 In Action
Perdí un botón de mi chaqueta favorita.
A1I lost a button from my favorite jacket.
Necesitas desabrocharte el botón del pantalón.
A2You need to unbutton your pants.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender Note
Even though it ends in '-ón,' 'botón' is masculine (el botón). This is common for many words that end in this sound.
⭐ Usage Tips
Verbs for Buttons
Use 'abotonar' (to button up) and 'desabotonar' (to unbutton) when talking about the action of fastening clothes.
Presiona el botón para encender la luz.
📝 In Action
Pulsa el botón de encendido para iniciar la computadora.
A1Press the power button to start the computer.
Haz clic en el botón 'Enviar' para mandar el formulario.
A2Click the 'Send' button to submit the form.
💡 Grammar Points
Action Verbs
When talking about pushing a button, the most common verbs are 'apretar' (to press hard), 'pulsar' (to tap/press), or 'presionar' (to press).
La rosa comienza como un botón antes de abrirse.
📝 In Action
Las flores de cerezo están en botón, listas para abrir.
B1The cherry blossoms are in bud, ready to open.
El jardinero cortó los botones secos de la planta.
B2The gardener cut the dry buds off the plant.
⭐ Usage Tips
Origin Connection
This meaning is the oldest, stemming from the word's original sense of a 'small, rounded swelling'—just like a button on a shirt!
El botón del hotel lleva las maletas a la habitación.
📝 In Action
Llamamos a recepción para que el botón subiera el equipaje.
B2We called reception so the bellboy could bring up the luggage.
Cuando era adolescente, trabajé de botón en un bufete de abogados.
C1When I was a teenager, I worked as an office runner at a law firm.
⭐ Usage Tips
Historical Context
This term originated because bellboys traditionally wore uniforms with many visible buttons.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: botón
Question 1 of 2
Which meaning of 'botón' is used in the phrase: 'Las peonías ya están echando botón'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
¿Es 'botón' masculino o femenino?
Es un sustantivo masculino. Siempre decimos 'el botón' o 'los botones', incluso si termina en 'n'.
How do I say 'buttonhole'?
The most common term is 'el ojal' (the loop or eyelet). Sometimes you will hear 'el agujero del botón' (the hole for the button) or the longer, technical term 'el botón de ojal'.