dama
“dama” means “lady” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
lady
Also: gentlewoman, woman
📝 In Action
La joven dama esperó pacientemente en la entrada.
A2The young lady waited patiently at the entrance.
Mi abuela siempre fue considerada una gran dama de la sociedad.
B1My grandmother was always considered a great lady of society.
El mesero preguntó: "¿Qué desea la dama?"
A2The waiter asked, "What does the lady wish?"
Queen
📝 In Action
La dama es la pieza más poderosa en el ajedrez.
B1The queen is the most powerful piece in chess.
Perdí la dama y tuve que rendirme.
B1I lost the queen and had to resign.
King
Also: crowned piece
📝 In Action
Mi ficha se convirtió en dama y ahora puedo moverme hacia atrás.
B2My piece became a king, and now I can move backward.
Para hacer una dama, tienes que llegar a la última fila del tablero.
C1To make a king (crowned piece), you have to reach the back row of the board.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: dama
Question 1 of 2
Which Spanish term is the male equivalent of 'dama' (lady)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the Latin term *domina*, which meant 'mistress' or 'lady of the house,' implying authority or high status. This same root gave us related words concerning power, like 'dominion' and 'dominate.'
First recorded: Before the 11th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'dama' more formal than 'mujer' or 'señora'?
'Dama' generally carries a nuance of higher respect, formality, or elegance than 'mujer' (woman), which is neutral. It's often interchangeable with 'señora' (madam/Mrs.) in very polite or formal contexts, but it's used less often in everyday street conversation.
Why is 'dama' the Queen in chess but the King in checkers?
This is a quirk of game translations. In both cases, 'dama' refers to the most powerful or promoted female piece. In chess, this is the Queen. In Spanish checkers, the promoted piece (often called a 'king' in English) is called 'dama' because historically, the games often used female-gendered terms for their most important pieces.