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masa

MAH-sahˈma.sa

dough, batter

Also: paste, mixture
NounfA1
A smooth, round ball of raw bread dough sitting on a wooden surface, ready for baking.

📝 In Action

Necesito amasar la masa del pan por diez minutos.

A1

I need to knead the bread dough for ten minutes.

Esta masa de galletas lleva mucha mantequilla.

A2

This cookie dough has a lot of butter in it.

La masa para los panqueques debe ser líquida.

A2

The batter for the pancakes should be liquid.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • masa madre – sourdough starter
  • amasar la masa – to knead the dough

mass

Also: bulk, body
NounfB1
A gigantic, perfectly smooth, solid gray sphere sitting on a flat, white surface, illustrating density and physical mass.

📝 In Action

La masa de un objeto no cambia, sin importar dónde se encuentre.

B1

The mass of an object does not change, regardless of where it is located.

Hay una gran masa de hielo flotando en el océano.

B2

There is a large mass of ice floating in the ocean.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • masa corporal – body mass
  • masa muscular – muscle mass

the masses

Also: crowd, populace
NounfB2 formal
A vast, tightly packed crowd composed of countless tiny, colorful, simplified human figures stretching into the background.

📝 In Action

La televisión tiene una gran influencia sobre la masa.

B2

Television has a great influence over the masses (the public).

Se formó una masa de manifestantes frente al edificio del gobierno.

C1

A crowd of protestors formed in front of the government building.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • medios de masa – mass media
  • movimiento de masas – mass movement

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: masa

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'masa' in its physical/scientific sense?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
masivo(massive) — Adjective
amasar(to knead) — Verb
masificar(to make widespread/massify) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word 'masa' comes directly from the Latin word *massa*, which meant 'lump,' 'dough,' or 'heap.' This origin explains all the modern meanings, from the lump of bread dough to the massive lump of physical material, and finally, the metaphorical lump of people (the masses).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: massaFrench: masseEnglish: mass

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'masa' the same as 'peso' (weight)?

Not exactly. While they are related, 'masa' refers to the amount of material in an object, which never changes. 'Peso' refers to how heavy that object feels due to gravity, which can change depending on where you are (e.g., on the moon, your 'masa' is the same, but your 'peso' is much lower).

How do I say 'dough' in Spanish if it's not for bread?

If you are talking about the dough for baking (cookies, cakes, pizza), 'masa' is correct. If you mean something like 'play-doh' or a thick paste, you might use 'pasta' or 'plastilina' (for play-doh).