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galón

gah-LOHN/ɡaˈlon/

“galón” means “gallon” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

gallon

Also: container
NounmA2
SpainLatin America
A large plastic jug filled with milk sitting on a wooden table.

📝 In Action

Compré un galón de leche en el supermercado.

A1

I bought a gallon of milk at the supermarket.

¿Cuántos galones de gasolina necesita el coche?

A2

How many gallons of gasoline does the car need?

Necesitamos tres galones de pintura azul para la sala.

B1

We need three gallons of blue paint for the living room.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • garrafa (large jug)

Common Collocations

  • galón de gasolina – gallon of gas
  • precio por galón – price per gallon
  • medio galón – half gallon

stripe / chevron

Also: braid
NounmB2formal
A yellow V-shaped chevron stripe on the sleeve of a blue jacket.

📝 In Action

El sargento luce sus nuevos galones en el uniforme.

B2

The sergeant wears his new stripes on his uniform.

La chaqueta del capitán está adornada con galones dorados.

B2

The captain's jacket is decorated with golden braids.

Ese oficial se ganó los galones en el campo de batalla.

C1

That officer earned his stripes on the battlefield.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • galones dorados – golden braids/stripes
  • lucir galones – to sport/wear stripes

Idioms & Expressions

  • Ganarse los galones – To earn one's stripes or prove one's worth through hard work.

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "galón" in Spanish:

braid→gallon→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: galón

Question 1 of 3

If you are at a gas station in Puerto Rico and ask for 'un galón', what are you buying?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
galonear(to trim with braid) — Verb
galonadura(set of stripes/braids) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
balóncanciónavión
📚 Etymology▼

From the French word 'galon', which originally referred to a decorative ribbon or braid used to measure and decorate clothes.

First recorded: 17th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: galonEnglish: gallon

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Spanish 'galón' the same size as a US 'gallon'?

Yes, usually when the word 'galón' is used in Spanish, it refers to the US liquid gallon (approx. 3.78 liters).

Do people in Spain use the word 'galón' for milk?

No. Spain uses the metric system, so they buy milk by the 'litro'. In Spain, 'galón' is almost exclusively used for military stripes.

How do I say 'stripes' on a zebra?

Don't use 'galones' for animals! For a zebra or a tiger, use the word 'rayas'.