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peso

PEH-soh/ˈpeso/

“peso” means “weight” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:

weight

Also: heaviness
NounmA1
A massive, gray, rounded rock resting heavily on a small wooden table, causing the table legs to visibly bow under the load, illustrating physical heaviness.

📝 In Action

Necesito saber el peso exacto de mi equipaje.

A1

I need to know the exact weight of my luggage.

Ha perdido diez kilos de peso desde enero.

A2

She has lost ten kilograms of weight since January.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • perder peso – to lose weight
  • ganar peso – to gain weight
  • bajar de peso – to lose weight (idiomatic)

peso

Also: money
NounmA1
Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Philippines
A perfectly stacked tower of shiny, featureless silver coins on a flat blue background, representing generic currency.

📝 In Action

Este billete es de cien pesos mexicanos.

A1

This bill is for one hundred Mexican pesos.

Pagué el doble de lo que costaba, ¡qué despilfarro de pesos!

B1

I paid double what it cost, what a waste of pesos (money)!

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • cambiar pesos – to exchange pesos
  • cuánto es en pesos – how much it is in pesos

dumbbell, counterweight

Also: scale weight
NounmB1
A single, simple black weightlifting dumbbell resting horizontally on a polished wooden floor.

📝 In Action

Necesitas levantar los pesos con cuidado para no lesionarte.

B1

You need to lift the weights carefully so you don't injure yourself.

El reloj antiguo tiene un peso de metal que lo hace funcionar.

C1

The antique clock has a metal counterweight that makes it work.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mancuerna (dumbbell (specific type))
  • contrapeso (counterweight)

Common Collocations

  • hacer pesas – to lift weights

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: peso

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'peso' in its currency meaning?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
pesar(to weigh (verb)) — Verb
pesado(heavy (adjective)) — Adjective
balanza(scale (for weighing)) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
besoqueso
📚 Etymology▼

The word 'peso' comes directly from the Latin word *pensum*, which meant 'a quantity that has been weighed out' or 'a measure.' This shows why it is used for both measurement (weight) and value (money).

First recorded: 13th century (in its modern Romance form)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: pesoItalian: pesoFrench (older usage): pois

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'peso' a common slang term for money?

Yes, especially in the plural form, 'pesos' can be used informally to simply mean 'money' or 'cash' in general, even if the local currency isn't strictly called the peso.

How do I ask someone's weight using the verb form?

The most natural way is to use the verb 'pesar': '¿Cuánto pesas?' (How much do you weigh?). You would rarely use 'peso' (the noun) in this direct question.