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cora

ko-rah/ˈko.ɾa/

“cora” means “heart” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

heart

Also: feelings
NounmB1slang
Puerto RicoColombia
A bright red heart shape centered on a soft blue background.

📝 In Action

Esa canción me llega al cora.

A2

That song really touches my heart.

Te lo digo de cora, de verdad.

B1

I'm telling you from the heart, truly.

Tengo el cora roto por lo que pasó.

B1

My heart is broken because of what happened.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • corazón (heart)
  • pecho (chest/heart)

Common Collocations

  • de cora – sincerely / from the heart
  • romper el cora – to break someone's heart

Idioms & Expressions

  • hablar de cora – To speak with total honesty and sincerity.

quarter

Also: change
NounfB1
El SalvadorPanama
A shiny silver coin with a profile of a person on a solid green background.

📝 In Action

¿Me prestas una cora para el bus?

A2

Can you lend me a quarter for the bus?

El pan cuesta una cora cada uno.

B1

The bread costs a quarter each.

Tengo cuatro coras en mi bolsillo.

B1

I have four quarters in my pocket.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • una cora de dólar – a quarter dollar

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cora" in Spanish:

change→feelings→heart→quarter→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cora

Question 1 of 3

If you are in a market in El Salvador and someone asks for 'una cora', what do they want?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
corazón(heart) — Noun
corazonada(hunch/feeling) — Noun
encorar(to encourage/strengthen (archaic)) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
ahoraseñorahora
📚 Etymology▼

The slang 'cora' is a shortened version of 'corazón' (from Latin 'cor'). The currency 'cora' is a Spanish-style pronunciation of the English word 'quarter'.

First recorded: 20th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: coreFrench: coeur

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'cora' a real word in the dictionary?

The official Spanish Royal Academy dictionary recognizes 'Cora' as an indigenous group from Mexico, but the slang for 'heart' and the word for 'quarter' are informal terms you won't usually find in formal dictionaries.

Can I use 'cora' in any Spanish-speaking country?

The 'heart' meaning is understood almost everywhere thanks to music, but the 'coin' meaning is very specific to El Salvador and Panama.

How do you spell the plural?

Just add an 's': 'los coras' (the hearts) or 'las coras' (the quarters).