estrella
“estrella” means “star” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
star
📝 In Action
Por la noche, me gusta mirar las estrellas.
A1At night, I like to look at the stars.
El sol es la estrella más importante de nuestro sistema solar.
A2The sun is the most important star in our solar system.
Pedí un deseo cuando vi la estrella fugaz.
B1I made a wish when I saw the shooting star.
star
Also: headliner, luminary
📝 In Action
Mi actor favorito es una gran estrella de cine.
A2My favorite actor is a big movie star.
Se convirtió en una estrella del pop a los 18 años.
B1She became a pop star at 18 years old.
Messi es la estrella principal del equipo.
B1Messi is the main star of the team.
star
Also: asterisk
📝 In Action
Nos quedamos en un hotel de cinco estrellas.
B1We stayed in a five-star hotel.
¿Cuántas estrellas le diste al restaurante en tu reseña?
B1How many stars did you give the restaurant in your review?
Este producto tiene una calificación de 4.5 estrellas.
B2This product has a 4.5-star rating.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: estrella
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'estrella' to talk about a famous person?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word 'stella', which means the same thing: a star in the sky. The other meanings, like for celebrities or ratings, grew from this original idea of something bright, important, and high up.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'estrella' and 'astro'?
Great question! 'Estrella' specifically means 'star,' like the sun or the lights you see in the night sky. 'Astro' is a more general, scientific word for any object in space, like a planet, moon, comet, or star. So, every 'estrella' is an 'astro', but not every 'astro' is an 'estrella'.
I saw 'huevos estrellados' on a menu. What does that mean?
This is a fun one! 'Huevos estrellados' means 'fried eggs,' usually sunny-side up. The verb 'estrellar' means 'to smash' or 'to crash.' So the name literally means 'smashed eggs,' probably because you crack (smash) them into the pan!