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damas

DAH-mas/ˈda.mas/

ladies

Also: women, ladies' room
NounfA1
Three elegantly dressed women standing together, smiling.

📝 In Action

Las damas entraron primero al salón.

A1

The ladies entered the hall first.

Estimadas damas y caballeros, bienvenidos.

B1

Dear ladies and gentlemen, welcome.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mujeres (women)
  • señoras (madams / married women)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • Baño de damas – Ladies' restroom

checkers

Also: draughts
NounfA2
A classic red and black checkered board game setup with several circular game pieces in play.

📝 In Action

¿Sabes jugar a las damas?

A2

Do you know how to play checkers?

Mi abuelo me enseñó las reglas de las damas.

B1

My grandfather taught me the rules of draughts.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • Jugar a las damas – To play checkers
  • Tablero de damas – Checkers board

queens

Also: kings
NounfB2specialized
Two ornate chess pieces representing queens, one white and one black, standing side by side.

📝 In Action

En el ajedrez, las damas son las piezas más móviles.

B2

In chess, the queens are the most mobile pieces.

Necesito mover una de mis damas para ganar la partida.

C1

I need to move one of my queens to win the game.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • Coronar una dama – To promote a piece (in checkers)

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: damas

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'damas' to talk about a game?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
dama(lady) — Noun
damisela(damsel) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
ramasllamas
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'domina,' which meant 'mistress of the house' or 'lady.' This word evolved into 'dama' in Spanish, and 'damas' is simply its plural form.

First recorded: Appeared in Spanish around the 13th century.

Cognates (Related words)

French: dameItalian: dama

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the game Checkers called 'damas'?

The game is named after the most powerful piece in the game (the Queen or King piece), which is often referred to as 'dama' in Spanish. This piece holds a high status, similar to a lady or queen in court.

Can I use 'damas' to mean 'women' in general?

Yes, but it sounds more formal or old-fashioned than 'mujeres.' It's best used in formal addresses (like 'damas y caballeros') or in institutional signs ('Baño de damas').