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cuerda

KWEHR-dahˈkweɾða

rope, cord

Also: line
NounfA1
A thick brown fibrous rope coiled loosely on a simple background, illustrating material used for tying.

📝 In Action

Atamos el bote al muelle con una cuerda gruesa.

A2

We tied the boat to the dock with a thick rope.

Puso la ropa mojada en la cuerda de tender.

A1

She put the wet clothes on the clothesline.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • soga (rope (often thicker))
  • cable (cable, wire)

Common Collocations

  • saltar a la cuerda – to jump rope
  • cuerda de tender – clothesline

string

Also: wire
NounfB1
A single, thin, taut metal string stretched across the dark wooden surface of a musical instrument.

📝 In Action

Necesito cambiar la sexta cuerda de mi guitarra.

B1

I need to change the sixth string on my guitar.

El violín tiene cuatro cuerdas.

A2

The violin has four strings.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • instrumentos de cuerda – string instruments
  • tocar las cuerdas – to play the strings

spring, winding mechanism

Also: wind-up
NounfB2neutral/informal
A tightly wound, flat metal spiral mainspring mechanism used to power a mechanical device.

📝 In Action

Tienes que darle cuerda al reloj de pared cada semana.

B2

You have to wind up the wall clock every week.

Ese juguete de cuerda ya no funciona.

B1

That wind-up toy no longer works.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • resorte (spring (generic))

Common Collocations

  • dar cuerda – to wind up (a mechanism)

Idioms & Expressions

  • Dar cuerda a alguien – To encourage, provoke, or egg someone on (to talk or act more)
  • Estar fuera de cuerda – To be out of tune or mentally unbalanced (less common)

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cuerda

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'cuerda' in its figurative sense (related to winding up)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
cordón(shoelace, cord) — Noun
encordar(to string (a racquet or instrument)) — Verb
acuerdo(agreement, consensus) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word *chorda*, meaning 'gut' or 'string,' which itself came from the Greek word *khordē*. This origin explains why *cuerda* refers to both thick ropes and thin musical strings.

First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish.

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: cordaFrench: cordeEnglish: cord

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'cuerda' ever used to mean sanity or mental balance?

Yes, but usually only in negative contexts or idioms. For example, *perder la cuerda* (to lose one's sense/mind) is sometimes heard, though the phrase *perder la cabeza* is much more common. The idea relates to a mechanism being 'unwound' or loose.

How is *cuerda* different from *soga*?

Both mean 'rope,' but *soga* often implies a thicker, heavier rope used for serious tasks like hanging or mooring. *Cuerda* is a more general term and can refer to thinner cords or strings as well.