cristales
“cristales” means “glass panes” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
glass panes
Also: windows
📝 In Action
Los cristales del coche están muy sucios por la lluvia.
A2The car windows are very dirty because of the rain.
Ten cuidado, hay cristales rotos en el suelo.
A1Be careful, there are broken pieces of glass on the floor.
lenses
📝 In Action
Tengo que cambiar los cristales de mis gafas porque ya no veo bien.
B1I have to change the lenses of my glasses because I can't see well anymore.
crystals
📝 In Action
La cueva estaba llena de cristales de cuarzo.
B2The cave was full of quartz crystals.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: cristales
Question 1 of 2
If you are at the optician and your glasses are scratched, what do you need to replace?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'crystallum', which originally came from a Greek word meaning 'ice' because ancient people believed crystals were ice that had frozen so hard it would never melt.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'vidrio' and 'cristal'?
Technically, 'vidrio' is manufactured glass (like a bottle), and 'cristal' is a natural structure or high-quality lead glass. However, in daily conversation, people use 'cristales' for window glass and 'vidrio' for the material itself or recycling.
Can I use 'cristales' to mean 'drinking glasses'?
No. For the objects you drink out of, you should use the word 'vasos'.