Inklingo
Dictionary

estrellas

es-TREH-yahsesˈtɾe.ʎas

“estrellas” means “stars” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:

starsA1Noun

celestial bodies

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starsB1Noun

celebrities, famous people

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you crashB2Verb

Second person singular present tense (tú form)

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starsAlso: heavenly bodies

NounfA1
A deep blue night sky filled with many bright, twinkling yellow stars of various sizes.

📝 In Action

Por la noche, se ven miles de estrellas.

A1

At night, thousands of stars can be seen.

Mi hijo quiere ser astronauta y visitar las estrellas.

A2

My son wants to be an astronaut and visit the stars.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • cuerpo celeste (celestial body)

Common Collocations

  • contar las estrellas – to count the stars (to do something impossible)
  • noche de estrellas – starry night

Idioms & Expressions

  • ver las estrellas – to see stars (usually after a blow/hit)

stars, starsAlso: leads

NounfB1
A stylized figure standing confidently on a small stage, illuminated brightly by three distinct golden spotlights shining down, symbolizing a celebrity.

📝 In Action

Ese hotel tiene cinco estrellas y el servicio es excelente.

A2

That hotel has five stars, and the service is excellent.

Todas las grandes estrellas de Hollywood asistieron al evento.

B1

All the big stars from Hollywood attended the event.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • celebridades (celebrities)
  • puntos (points/ratings)

Common Collocations

  • estrellas de cine – movie stars

you crash, you smash

VerbB2regular ar
A small red toy car violently crashing head-on into a gray wall, showing exaggerated impact lines and small fragmented pieces flying outward.
infinitiveestrellar
gerundestrellando
past Participleestrellado

📝 In Action

Si no miras el camino, estrellas el coche.

B2

If you don't watch the road, you crash the car.

Tú estrellas la bola contra la pared.

B2

You smash the ball against the wall.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Indicative

Present

yoestrello
túestrellas
él/ella/ustedestrella
nosotrosestrellamos
vosotrosestrelláis
ellos/ellas/ustedesestrellan

Imperfect

yoestrellaba
túestrellabas
él/ella/ustedestrellaba
nosotrosestrellábamos
vosotrosestrellabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesestrellaban

Preterite

yoestrellé
túestrellaste
él/ella/ustedestrelló
nosotrosestrellamos
vosotrosestrellasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesestrellaron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yoestrelle
túestrelles
él/ella/ustedestrelle
nosotrosestrellemos
vosotrosestrelléis
ellos/ellas/ustedesestrellen

Imperfect Subjunctive

yoestrellara
túestrellaras
él/ella/ustedestrellara
nosotrosestrelláramos
vosotrosestrellarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesestrellaran
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Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "estrellas" in Spanish:

heavenly bodiesleadsstarsyou crashyou smash

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: estrellas

Question 1 of 2

¿Cuál frase usa 'estrellas' en un sentido figurado (no celestial)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
estrella(star (singular)) — Noun
estrellar(to crash/smash) — Verb
estrellado(starry or crashed) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes
ellasbotellas
📚 Etymology

Comes directly from the Latin word 'stella,' meaning star. This ancient root is the source of many English words too, like 'stellar' and 'constellation.'

First recorded: Appeared in Spanish as 'estrella' during the Middle Ages.

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: stellaFrench: étoile

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'estrellas' only used for astronomical stars?

No. While its main meaning is the celestial bodies, it is very commonly used to mean 'celebrities' (las estrellas de cine) or 'quality ratings' (un hotel de cinco estrellas).

Does 'estrellas' mean 'planets'?

No. 'Estrellas' specifically means 'stars' (burning balls of gas). The word for 'planets' is 'planetas' (which, confusingly, is masculine: 'los planetas').