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costura

kos-TOO-rah/kosˈtuɾa/

sewing

Also: needlework
NounfA1
A wooden table with a ball of yarn, a silver needle, and a piece of fabric.

📝 In Action

Mi abuela siempre tiene su costura en el sofá.

A1

My grandmother always has her sewing on the sofa.

Quiero tomar una clase de costura para aprender a hacer mi propia ropa.

A2

I want to take a sewing class to learn how to make my own clothes.

La costura requiere mucha paciencia y buena vista.

B1

Sewing requires a lot of patience and good eyesight.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sastrería (tailoring)

Common Collocations

  • caja de costura – sewing box
  • máquina de costura – sewing machine (often just called 'máquina de coser')
  • clase de costura – sewing class

seam

Also: stitching
NounfA2
General
A close-up of a straight line of stitches joining two different colored pieces of cloth.

📝 In Action

Se me rompió la costura del pantalón.

A2

The seam of my pants ripped.

Esta costura está un poco torcida.

B1

This seam is a bit crooked.

Debes abrir las costuras con la plancha.

B2

You should press the seams open with the iron.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • unión (joining/union)
  • remate (finish/end of stitching)

Antonyms

  • descosido (a rip or unsewn part)

Common Collocations

  • costura reforzada – reinforced seam
  • abrir la costura – to open the seam (with an iron)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "costura" in Spanish:

needlework→seam→sewing→stitching→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: costura

Question 1 of 3

If your pants rip at the line where two pieces of fabric meet, what has broken?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
coser(to sew) — Verb
costurera(seamstress) — Noun
costurero(sewing kit / male seamster) — Noun
descoser(to unpick / to unstitch) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'consuere,' which means 'to sew together.' This is a combination of 'con' (together) and 'suere' (to sew).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: costuraEnglish: suture (related through the Latin 'suere')

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'coser' and 'costura'?

'Coser' is the action (the verb) like 'to sew.' 'Costura' is the name of the thing or the hobby (the noun) like 'sewing' or 'seam.'

How do you say 'seamstress'?

A woman who sews professionally is a 'costurera.' A man is a 'sastre' (tailor) or 'costurero'.

Is 'costura' only used for clothes?

Mostly, yes. It refers to fabric, leather, or similar materials joined by thread. For other types of joins, different words are used.