chaleco
/chah-LEH-koh/
vest
A warm, sleeveless vest, known in Spanish as a chaleco.
chaleco(noun)
vest
?sleeveless garment, generally casual or for warmth
,waistcoat
?formal garment, part of a three-piece suit
gilet
?often used for padded or sporting vests
📝 In Action
Lleva un chaleco de cuadros muy elegante.
A2He is wearing a very elegant checkered waistcoat.
Necesito un chaleco más grueso para el invierno.
A1I need a thicker vest for the winter.
El chaleco de punto combina bien con esta camisa.
B1The knitted vest goes well with this shirt.
💡 Grammar Points
Masculine Noun Rule
Since 'chaleco' ends in -o and is masculine, always use 'el' or 'un' before it. For example: 'el chaleco'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Gender Confusion
Mistake: "La chaleco es azul."
Correction: El chaleco es azul. (Remember that almost all nouns ending in -o are masculine.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Knowing the Context
In many parts of Latin America, 'chaleco' refers to any sleeveless garment, including a suit waistcoat or a puffy outdoor vest.
Safety gear for the water, this life jacket is also called a chaleco.
chaleco(noun)
life jacket
?safety gear for water
,safety vest
?high-visibility clothing
bulletproof vest
?protective gear (often specified as 'chaleco antibalas')
📝 In Action
Pónganse el chaleco salvavidas antes de que el barco zarpe.
B1Put on the life jacket before the boat sails.
Los policías llevaban chalecos antibalas.
B2The police officers were wearing bulletproof vests.
💡 Grammar Points
Compound Nouns
To specify the type of protective vest, you often combine 'chaleco' with an adjective or another noun, like 'salvavidas' (life-saving) or 'antibalas' (anti-bullet).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: chaleco
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'chaleco' to mean a life-saving device?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
¿Es 'chaleco' una palabra moderna?
No, 'chaleco' es una palabra antigua en español, pero el estilo del chaleco como prenda de vestir ha cambiado mucho a lo largo de los siglos, desde ropa formal hasta ropa deportiva.
If I want to talk about a puffy winter vest, should I use 'chaleco'?
Yes, 'chaleco' is the correct word. You can specify it by saying 'chaleco acolchado' (padded vest) or 'chaleco de plumas' (down vest).