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pendientes

pen-DYEN-tes/penˈdjentes/

earrings

Also: ear drops
NounmA2
SpainMexico, Central America, Caribbean
A pair of decorative gold hoop earrings with small dangling gemstones, resting on a soft jewelry box lining.

📝 In Action

Perdí uno de mis pendientes favoritos en la fiesta.

A2

I lost one of my favorite earrings at the party.

Ella siempre lleva pendientes de oro muy elegantes.

B1

She always wears very elegant gold earrings.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • aretes (earrings (common in LatAm))
  • zarcillos (earrings (regional))

Common Collocations

  • pendientes de plata – silver earrings
  • ponerse pendientes – to put on earrings

pending, outstanding

Also: unresolved, waiting
A tall, neat stack of unread brown envelopes tied together with a piece of red string, symbolizing pending tasks.

📝 In Action

Tenemos varios pagos pendientes que debemos realizar antes del viernes.

B1

We have several pending payments that we must make before Friday.

Dejé tres llamadas pendientes en mi lista de tareas.

B1

I left three outstanding calls on my to-do list.

Las negociaciones están pendientes de la aprobación final del jefe.

B2

The negotiations are waiting for the final approval of the boss.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • inacabados (unfinished)
  • por resolver (to be resolved)

Antonyms

  • terminados (finished)

Common Collocations

  • temas pendientes – pending issues
  • cuentas pendientes – outstanding debts/old scores

attentive, watchful

Also: waiting for
A small child leaning forward with a focused expression, cupping their ear to hear a quiet sound.

📝 In Action

Estaremos pendientes de tu llamada en caso de emergencia.

B2

We will be waiting for your call in case of emergency. (Or: We will be keeping an eye out for your call.)

Los niños estaban pendientes de la televisión, sin pestañear.

C1

The children were glued to the television, without blinking.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • atentos (attentive)
  • vigilantes (watchful)

Antonyms

  • desatentos (inattentive)

Common Collocations

  • estar pendientes de – to be keeping an eye on
  • quedarse pendientes – to stay tuned/attentive

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "pendientes" in Spanish:

ear drops→earrings→waiting→waiting for→watchful→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pendientes

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'pendientes' to mean 'attentive' or 'watchful'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Latin verb *pendere*, meaning 'to hang' or 'to be suspended.' This explains all three modern meanings: earrings are literally 'hanging' from the ear; a pending task is 'suspended' or waiting; and being attentive means your focus is 'hanging' on the subject.

First recorded: 13th century (in the form 'pendiente')

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: pendenteFrench: pendant

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'pendiente' (singular) masculine or feminine?

It depends on the meaning! As a noun meaning 'earring' or 'slope,' it is masculine (el pendiente). As an adjective meaning 'pending' or 'attentive,' it matches the noun it describes (la tarea pendiente, el pago pendiente).

How do I know if 'pendientes' refers to jewelry or unfinished business?

Context is key. If the sentence is about clothing, jewelry, or fashion, it means 'earrings.' If it's about tasks, work, or decisions, it means 'pending' or 'outstanding.' Look for verbs like 'llevar' (wear) for jewelry, or 'quedar'/'estar' (remain/be) for tasks.