A colorful illustration of a person standing with their hands on their hips.

cadera

kah-DEH-rah

nounfA2

hip?human anatomy

Also:haunch?animal anatomy

📝 In Action

Ella mueve las caderas cuando baila salsa.

She moves her hips when she dances salsa.

Me duele la cadera derecha después de caminar tanto.

My right hip hurts after walking so much.

Este pantalón me queda muy apretado de cadera.

These pants are very tight around my hips.

Word Connections

Synonyms

anca (haunch)

Common Collocations

hueso de la cadera – hip bone
ancho de caderas – wide-hipped
fractura de cadera – hip fracture

💡 Grammar Points

Using 'The' Instead of 'My'

When talking about body parts like 'cadera', Spanish uses words like 'la' (the) instead of 'mi' (my) if it's already clear whose body it is. Example: 'Me duele la cadera' (The hip hurts me) instead of 'My hip hurts'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Don't confuse with 'waist'

Mistake: "Using 'cadera' to describe the narrow part of the torso."

Correction: Use 'cintura' for the waist and 'cadera' for the bony area where your legs meet your torso.

⭐ Usage Tips

Plural vs. Singular

In English, we often say 'hips' (plural) even when referring to the general area, but in Spanish, using 'la cadera' (singular) is very common when talking about the joint or a specific side.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: cadera

Question 1 of 1

Which part of the body is the 'cadera'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

caderudo(wide-hipped) - adjective

caderón(person with large hips) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'cadera' masculine or feminine?

It is a feminine noun, so you should always use 'la' or 'una' with it (la cadera).

How do you say 'hip replacement' in Spanish?

You would say 'reemplazo de cadera' or 'prótesis de cadera'.