orejas
“orejas” means “ears” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
ears
Also: hearing
📝 In Action
Las orejas de mi perro son muy grandes y puntiagudas.
A1My dog's ears are very large and pointed.
Me puse pendientes nuevos en las orejas.
A1I put new earrings in my ears.
Ella tiene las orejas rojas de tanto frío.
A2Her ears are red from the cold.
handles, lapels
Also: small projections
📝 In Action
Esta taza de café tiene unas orejas muy pequeñas, es difícil sujetarla.
B1This coffee cup has very small handles; it's difficult to hold.
Le cosió unas orejas nuevas al bolso de cuero.
B2She sewed new handles onto the leather bag.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: orejas
Question 1 of 2
Which Spanish word should you use if you want to say, 'I have an ear infection'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the Latin word *auricula*, which was a diminutive (a small version) of *auris*, meaning 'ear.' This shows that even in ancient times, the word emphasized the small, external part of the hearing apparatus.
First recorded: Old Spanish (c. 10th-13th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'orejas' feminine if it refers to a body part?
Most nouns in Spanish that end in '-a' are feminine, and 'oreja' follows this pattern. Spanish nouns have a fixed gender regardless of what they describe. Since the singular 'oreja' is feminine, the plural 'orejas' also takes feminine articles like 'las'.
When is 'orejas' used to mean 'handles'?
'Orejas' can be used figuratively for parts of objects that stick out, especially handles on cups, jugs, or baskets, because they look similar to ears sticking out from the main body of the object.