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palanca

pah-LAHN-kah/paˈlaŋka/

lever

Also: crowbar, handle
NounfA2
A wooden plank resting on a small rock being used to lift a large heavy boulder.

📝 In Action

Necesitamos una palanca para mover esta piedra tan pesada.

A2

We need a lever to move this very heavy stone.

Tira de la palanca para activar la máquina.

B1

Pull the lever to activate the machine.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • barra (bar)
  • manivela (crank/handle)

Common Collocations

  • hacer palanca – to pry / to leverage

Idioms & Expressions

  • Dadme un punto de apoyo y moveré el mundo – Give me a place to stand and I shall move the earth (Famous Archimedes quote about levers)

gear shift

Also: joystick
NounfB1
A close up of a gear shift lever inside a car with a leather base.

📝 In Action

Mueve la palanca de cambios a punto muerto.

B1

Move the gear shift to neutral.

El piloto controla el avión con la palanca de mando.

B2

The pilot controls the plane with the control stick (joystick).

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • palanca de cambios – gear stick / gear shift
  • palanca de mando – joystick / control column

clout

Also: pull, influence
NounfB2informal
Latin AmericaSpain
A person standing on a tall platform reaching down to help another person up to their level.

📝 In Action

Entró en esa empresa porque tiene mucha palanca.

B2

He got into that company because he has a lot of pull/connections.

Sin palanca es difícil conseguir los permisos rápido.

C1

Without influence, it is hard to get the permits quickly.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: palanca

Question 1 of 1

If someone says they got a job 'por palanca', what do they mean?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
apalancar(to leverage / to pry) — Verb
palancada(a stroke or blow with a lever) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From Vulgar Latin 'palanga', which comes from the Greek 'phalanx', meaning a log, roller, or a line of soldiers.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: phalanxPortuguese: alavanca

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'palanca' mean a joystick for video games?

Yes! Specifically 'palanca de mando'. While younger gamers might use the English word 'joystick', 'palanca' is the traditional and correct Spanish term for that type of controller.

Is 'palanca' a rude word?

No, it is not rude. When used to mean 'influence', it is informal/slang, but it isn't a swear word or offensive.