escondidas
/es-kon-DEE-das/
hide-and-seek
The classic children's game, hide-and-seek, is translated as escondidas.
📝 In Action
Mis sobrinos siempre quieren jugar a las escondidas en el parque.
A1My nephews always want to play hide-and-seek in the park.
El juego de las escondidas es un clásico de la infancia.
A2The game of hide-and-seek is a childhood classic.
💡 Grammar Points
Fixed Phrase Usage
When talking about the game, always use the preposition 'a' before 'las escondidas': 'jugar a las escondidas'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Incorrect Preposition
Mistake: "Jugar las escondidas"
Correction: Jugar a las escondidas. Spanish requires the 'a' here, similar to how you might say 'play at the game'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Shortened Name
It is very common to shorten 'el juego de las escondidas' to just 'las escondidas'.
When you do something escondidas, you do it secretly, without others knowing.
escondidas(Adverbial Phrase)
secretly
?Doing something without others knowing
,on the sly
?Doing something sneakily
in secret
?General meaning
📝 In Action
Ella fumaba a escondidas de sus padres.
B1She smoked secretly from her parents (on the sly).
El niño se comió el pastel a escondidas antes de la cena.
B1The boy ate the cake in secret before dinner.
💡 Grammar Points
Adverbial Function
When used in the phrase 'a escondidas', the whole phrase acts like an adverb, telling you how an action was done (in secret).
Invariable Plural
Even though it describes a singular action, this phrase always uses the plural form 'escondidas' and is always preceded by 'a'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the Singular Form
Mistake: "A escondida"
Correction: A escondidas. This specific phrase is always plural, meaning 'in hiding spots'.
⭐ Usage Tips
More Vivid than 'Secretamente'
'A escondidas' often implies a bit more effort or sneakiness than the simple adverb 'secretamente'.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: escondidas
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'escondidas' to mean 'secretly'?
📚 More Resources
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.