mina
“mina” means “mine” in Spanish. It has 4 different meanings depending on context:
mine, pit
Also: vein
📝 In Action
La mina de carbón cerró el año pasado por falta de recursos.
B1The coal mine closed last year due to lack of resources.
Dicen que el pueblo se fundó cerca de una antigua mina de plata.
B1They say the town was founded near an old silver mine.
pencil lead, lead
Also: refill
📝 In Action
Se me acabó la mina del portaminas.
A2I ran out of lead in my mechanical pencil.
Necesitas comprar minas más gruesas para dibujar.
B1You need to buy thicker leads for drawing.
landmine, mine
Also: bomb
📝 In Action
El equipo de desminado encontró una mina cerca del camino.
B2The demining team found a mine near the road.
Es una zona peligrosa porque todavía hay minas sin explotar.
B2It's a dangerous area because there are still unexploded mines.
girl, chick
Also: babe
📝 In Action
Qué buena mina, siempre tiene una sonrisa.
B2What a nice girl, she always has a smile. (Argentina/Uruguay)
¿Viste a la mina nueva que trabaja en la tienda?
C1Did you see the new girl working at the store? (Chile)
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: mina
Question 1 of 2
Which meaning of 'mina' is highly localized to Argentina and Uruguay?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from a Medieval Latin root, *mina*, which meant 'vein of ore' or 'subterranean passage.' This is related to the French word *mine*, giving rise to the meanings related to excavation and explosives. The slang meaning ('girl') is a much more recent, localized development, likely coming from the phrase 'ser una mina de oro' (to be a gold mine) meaning she is valuable or attractive.
First recorded: 13th century (in the sense of excavation)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'mina' a polite word for a woman?
No. In Spanish-speaking countries outside of the Southern Cone (Argentina, Uruguay), 'mina' is primarily understood as 'mine' or 'explosive.' Even where it means 'girl,' it's informal slang. Stick to 'chica' or 'mujer' for neutral or formal contexts.
¿Cuál es el plural de 'mina'?
The plural is simple: 'minas'. For example, 'Hay dos minas de plata en esta región' (There are two silver mines in this region).