Inklingo
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A pile of whole and shelled walnuts on a wooden surface.

nueces

nweh-sehs

nounfA1
walnuts?The specific brain-shaped nut from a walnut tree
Also:nuts?Used generally for various types of edible nuts

πŸ“ In Action

Puse algunas nueces en mi ensalada para que estΓ© crujiente.

A1

I put some walnuts in my salad to make it crunchy.

Las nueces son una gran fuente de energΓ­a.

A2

Nuts are a great source of energy.

Necesito un cascanueces para abrir estas nueces.

B1

I need a nutcracker to open these walnuts.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • frutos secos (dried fruits/nuts (general category))

Common Collocations

  • pelar nueces – to shell walnuts
  • leche de nueces – nut milk

Idioms & Expressions

  • Mucho ruido y pocas nueces – A lot of fuss about something that isn't actually important or doesn't happen.

πŸ’‘ Grammar Points

The 'Z' to 'CES' Swap

When a Spanish word ends in 'z' (like the singular 'nuez'), you change the 'z' to a 'c' before adding 'es' to make it plural.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Spelling with Z

Mistake: "nuezes"

Correction: nueces - Remember that 'z' almost never appears before 'e' or 'i' in Spanish; it switches to 'c' instead.

⭐ Usage Tips

Walnuts vs. All Nuts

While 'nueces' specifically means walnuts, people often use it loosely for 'nuts' in general. If you want to be very broad, use 'frutos secos'.

✏️ Quick Practice

πŸ’‘ Quick Quiz: nueces

Question 1 of 2

What happens to the singular word 'nuez' when it becomes plural?

πŸ“š More Resources

Word Family

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'nueces' masculine or feminine?

It is feminine. You should say 'las nueces' or 'muchas nueces'.

Does 'nueces' always mean walnuts?

Technically yes, but in many casual settings, it is used as a general term for any edible nut.