nave
“nave” means “ship” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
ship, spaceship
Also: vessel, craft
📝 In Action
La nave espacial despegó hacia Marte.
B1The spaceship took off towards Mars.
El pirata comandaba una nave muy rápida.
B1The pirate commanded a very fast ship.
Vimos una enorme nave de carga en el puerto.
A2We saw a huge cargo ship in the port.
warehouse, industrial unit
Also: workshop, hangar
📝 In Action
Alquilamos una nave industrial para guardar la mercancía.
B2We rented an industrial warehouse to store the merchandise.
La empresa tiene tres naves en el polígono.
B2The company has three units in the industrial park.
El taller de coches está en una nave muy grande.
B1The car repair shop is in a very large building.
nave
📝 In Action
La nave central de la catedral es impresionante por su altura.
C1The central nave of the cathedral is impressive because of its height.
Caminaron por la nave lateral hasta llegar al altar.
C1They walked along the side nave until they reached the altar.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "nave" in Spanish:
craft→hangar→industrial unit→nave→ship→spaceship→vessel→warehouse→🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: nave
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'nave' to mean a type of building?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word 'navis', which means 'ship'. The other meanings, like a warehouse or the part of a church, developed from the idea of a large, enclosed space that looked like the hull of a ship.
First recorded: 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
So 'nave' can be a spaceship, a boat, AND a building? How do I know which one is meant?
Yes, it's a versatile word! Context is your best friend. Look for clues like 'espacial' (space), 'de carga' (cargo) for ships, or 'industrial' for buildings. If someone just says 'la nave', you'll have to figure it out from the rest of the conversation.
Is 'nave' always feminine?
Yes, always! No matter which meaning you're using—ship, spaceship, warehouse, or church nave—it's always 'la nave' or 'una nave'. It's an important rule to remember for this word.