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escondidas

es-kon-DEE-das/es.konˈði.ðas/

“escondidas” means “hide-and-seek” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

hide-and-seek

NounfA1
MexicoSpain
A colorful storybook illustration of a young child hiding behind a large, bright green tree trunk, peeking out with a playful expression, illustrating the game of hide-and-seek.

📝 In Action

Mis sobrinos siempre quieren jugar a las escondidas en el parque.

A1

My nephews always want to play hide-and-seek in the park.

El juego de las escondidas es un clásico de la infancia.

A2

The game of hide-and-seek is a childhood classic.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • ocultamiento (hiding)

Common Collocations

  • jugar a las escondidas – to play hide-and-seek

secretly, on the sly

Also: in secret
A high quality storybook illustration focusing on two hands, one quickly slipping a small, folded piece of paper into the pocket of a closed jacket, suggesting an action done secretly.

📝 In Action

Ella fumaba a escondidas de sus padres.

B1

She smoked secretly from her parents (on the sly).

El niño se comió el pastel a escondidas antes de la cena.

B1

The boy ate the cake in secret before dinner.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • secretamente (secretly)
  • furtivamente (furtively)

Antonyms

  • públicamente (publicly)

Common Collocations

  • hacer algo a escondidas – to do something secretly

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "escondidas" in Spanish:

in secret→secretly→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: escondidas

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'escondidas' to mean 'secretly'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes directly from the feminine plural past participle of the Spanish verb 'esconder' (to hide), which itself traces back to the Latin verb *abscondere*, meaning 'to put away' or 'to hide from view'.

First recorded: Medieval Spanish

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: escondidas

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'escondidas' always plural?

The word 'escondidas' is the feminine plural form of the past participle of 'esconder' (to hide). When used as an adverbial phrase ('a escondidas'), it is a very old, fixed structure that implies 'in the hidden places' or 'in the hiding spots,' so it remains plural.