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brazos

BRAH-sohs/ˈbɾasos/

arms

NounmA1
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration showing two bare human arms extending outwards from the shoulders.

📝 In Action

Necesitas estirar los brazos antes de nadar.

A1

You need to stretch your arms before swimming.

Tenía muchos paquetes en los brazos y no podía abrir la puerta.

A2

She had many packages in her arms and couldn't open the door.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • extremidades superiores (upper limbs)

Common Collocations

  • abrir los brazos – to open one's arms
  • cruzar los brazos – to fold one's arms

Idioms & Expressions

  • Estar con los brazos cruzados – To be doing nothing, to be idle or passive (literally: to be with crossed arms)

embrace

Also: power
NounmB1
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration showing two stylized figures wrapping their arms around each other in a comforting embrace.

📝 In Action

Encontró consuelo en los brazos de su abuela.

B1

She found comfort in her grandmother's embrace (or arms).

La joven cayó en los brazos de la delincuencia.

B2

The young woman fell into the grasp (or power) of crime.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • correr a los brazos – to run into the arms of

Idioms & Expressions

  • Caer en los brazos de Morfeo – To fall deeply asleep

branches

Also: support rods, sections
NounmB2
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration depicting a wide blue river that splits into two smaller, distinct flowing branches.

📝 In Action

El delta del río se divide en varios brazos antes de llegar al mar.

B2

The river delta divides into several branches before reaching the sea.

Tuvimos que reemplazar los brazos de la grúa hidráulica.

C1

We had to replace the support arms of the hydraulic crane.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • ramas (branches (of trees or rivers))
  • secciones (sections)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "brazos" in Spanish:

arms→branches→embrace→power→sections→support rods→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: brazos

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'brazos' in its most common, literal sense?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
brazo(arm (singular)) — Noun
bracear(to flail one's arms (e.g., while swimming)) — Verb
abrazar(to hug/embrace) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word *bracchium*, which meant 'arm'. It is a very ancient word related to physical strength and support.

First recorded: 10th century (in Old Spanish)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: braçosItalian: bracci

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'brazos' ever mean 'a hug'?

Yes, indirectly. While the direct translation for 'hug' is 'abrazo' (singular), 'brazos' is used in phrases like 'recibir en sus brazos' (to receive in one's arms), which strongly implies a comforting embrace.

How do I know when to use 'los brazos' versus 'mis brazos'?

When talking about pain, injury, or basic actions involving your own arms, use 'los brazos' along with a pronoun like 'me' or 'te' (Me rompí los brazos, Te lavas los brazos). This is the standard Spanish way for body parts, whereas 'mis brazos' is usually reserved for emphasis or when the arms are detached from the body (e.g., 'Mis brazos son más largos que los tuyos').