grave
/GRAH-veh/
serious
When describing a situation, illness, or consequence, "grave" means serious.
grave(adjective)
serious
?situation, illness, consequence
,severe
?injury, punishment
,critical
?condition
solemn
?manner or demeanor
📝 In Action
Su estado de salud es grave, necesita un médico inmediatamente.
B1His health condition is serious; he needs a doctor immediately.
Cometer un error tan grave en el informe afectará tu ascenso.
B2Making such a serious mistake in the report will affect your promotion.
El presidente dio un discurso con tono grave sobre la crisis económica.
C1The president gave a speech in a solemn tone about the economic crisis.
💡 Grammar Points
Always Use the Same Form
The form 'grave' is used for both masculine and feminine nouns (e.g., 'el error grave,' 'la lesión grave'). Only the plural changes: 'graves.'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Don't Confuse with 'Heavy'
Mistake: "Using 'grave' to mean physically heavy (like a heavy box)."
Correction: Use 'pesado/a' for physical weight. 'Grave' implies emotional weight or severity.
⭐ Usage Tips
High Impact
Using 'grave' is stronger than 'serio.' Reserve it for truly critical or life-threatening situations.
When referring to sound or voice, "grave" means low-pitched.
📝 In Action
El cantante tiene una voz muy grave y potente.
B2The singer has a very deep and powerful voice.
Necesitas ajustar los tonos graves de los altavoces.
C1You need to adjust the low-pitched (bass) tones on the speakers.
⭐ Usage Tips
Sound Specific
Only use this meaning when talking about the pitch of a sound, like a musical note or a person's voice.
In Spanish linguistics, a 'grave' word is one where the stress falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable.
grave(adjective)
having stress on the penultimate syllable
?linguistics, spelling rules
paroxytone
?technical term for second-to-last syllable stress
📝 In Action
Las palabras graves que terminan en vocal no llevan tilde.
C2Words stressed on the second-to-last syllable that end in a vowel do not take a written accent mark.
💡 Grammar Points
Stress Rule
The 'grave' rule is the standard rule for most Spanish words. If the word ends in a vowel, 'n', or 's', the natural stress falls on the second-to-last syllable, and no written accent is needed (e.g., casa, examen).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: grave
Question 1 of 2
¿En qué contexto usamos 'grave' con el significado de 'low-pitched'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'grave' only used for negative situations?
While it is most often used for negative or dangerous situations (a grave mistake, a serious illness), it can sometimes describe a solemn or serious manner (a grave expression), which is more neutral.
Why is the word 'grave' the same for masculine and feminine nouns?
Adjectives in Spanish that end in '-e' often keep the same form regardless of whether the noun they describe is masculine or feminine. You only change the ending when making it plural (graves).