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cabeza

ka-BEH-sa/kaˈβeθa/

head

Also: skull
NounfA1
A close-up view of a person's head and shoulders drawn in a simple, friendly storybook style.

📝 In Action

Me duele la cabeza.

A1

My head hurts.

El bebé tiene una cabeza pequeña.

A1

The baby has a small head.

Ponte el casco para protegerte la cabeza.

A2

Put on the helmet to protect your head.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • dolor de cabeza – headache
  • mover la cabeza – to nod or shake one's head
  • de cabeza – upside down

Idioms & Expressions

  • perder la cabeza – to lose your mind, to go crazy
  • romperse la cabeza – to rack your brain, to think very hard about something

head, leader

Also: top, front
NounfB1
A single figure standing prominently at the front, leading a small, orderly procession of other figures.

📝 In Action

Mi madre es la cabeza de la familia.

B1

My mother is the head of the family.

El equipo está a la cabeza de la liga.

B1

The team is at the top of the league.

El director es la cabeza visible de la empresa.

B2

The director is the visible head of the company.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • cabeza de familia – head of the family
  • a la cabeza de – at the head of, leading

mind, sense

NounfB2
A stylized silhouette of a person sitting calmly with a soft, bright glow emanating from within the head area, symbolizing deep thought.

📝 In Action

Usa la cabeza y piensa en una solución.

B1

Use your head and think of a solution.

No tengo cabeza para estudiar hoy, estoy muy cansado.

B2

I don't have the mental energy (head) to study today, I'm very tired.

Mi abuelo todavía tiene una cabeza muy clara.

B2

My grandfather still has a very clear mind.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Idioms & Expressions

  • tener buena cabeza – to be smart, to have a good head on your shoulders
  • sentar la cabeza – to settle down (in life)

head

NounfC1
A small, distinct group of cattle standing in a green pasture.

📝 In Action

El granjero vendió veinte cabezas de ganado.

C1

The farmer sold twenty head of cattle.

El rebaño tiene más de cien cabezas.

C1

The flock has more than one hundred head.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • cabeza de ganado – head of cattle

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cabeza" in Spanish:

front→head→leader→mind→sense→skull→top→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cabeza

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'cabeza' to mean 'leader' or 'person in charge'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from 'capitia', a casual or 'Vulgar' Latin word that was a plural form of 'caput', the classical Latin word for 'head'. Over time, this plural form came to be used as the main singular word in Spanish.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: cabeçaCatalan: cabeçaItalian: cavezza (halter)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Spanish speakers say 'la cabeza' instead of 'mi cabeza' when talking about their own head?

It's a cool feature of Spanish! When you use a verb like 'doler' (to hurt) or 'lavar' (to wash) with a reflexive pronoun like 'me' or 'te', it's already clear whose body part it is. So, saying 'mi cabeza' (my head) would be redundant. You just say 'la cabeza' (the head), and the 'me' tells everyone it's yours.

What's the difference between 'cabeza' and 'mente'?

Great question! Think of 'cabeza' as the physical head and also the ability to think logically or solve problems ('use your head'). 'Mente' is more about the abstract mind—your thoughts, feelings, and consciousness ('it crossed my mind'). While they can sometimes overlap, 'cabeza' is more about practical intelligence and 'mente' is about your inner world.