piloto
“piloto” means “pilot” in Spanish. It has 4 different meanings depending on context:
pilot, aviator
Also: helmsman
📝 In Action
El piloto anunció que el vuelo se retrasaría.
A2The pilot announced that the flight would be delayed.
Mi hermana quiere ser piloto de aviones comerciales.
B1My sister wants to be a commercial airplane pilot.
El barco necesita un piloto para navegar en aguas peligrosas.
B2The ship needs a pilot (local expert) to navigate in dangerous waters.
race car driver, driver
📝 In Action
El joven piloto ganó la carrera de Fórmula 1 por un segundo.
B1The young race car driver won the Formula 1 race by one second.
Ser piloto de rally requiere mucha concentración.
B2Being a rally driver requires a lot of concentration.
pilot, trial
Also: model
📝 In Action
Vamos a lanzar un proyecto piloto en tres ciudades antes de implementarlo a nivel nacional.
B2We are going to launch a pilot project in three cities before implementing it nationally.
La clase piloto fue un éxito y ahora se ofrecerá a todos los estudiantes.
C1The trial class was a success and will now be offered to all students.
pilot light, indicator light
📝 In Action
El piloto rojo indica que la máquina está encendida.
B1The red indicator light shows that the machine is on.
Necesito cambiar el piloto de la caldera; se apagó.
B2I need to change the pilot light on the boiler; it went out.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "piloto" in Spanish:
aviator→driver→helmsman→indicator light→model→pilot→pilot light→trial→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: piloto
Question 1 of 2
¿Cuál de estas oraciones usa 'piloto' en su sentido de 'prueba'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Italian word *piloto*, which itself originated from the Greek *pedotēs*, meaning 'steersman' or 'one who handles the rudder.' The core meaning has always been about guiding or steering.
First recorded: Medieval Spanish (around 15th century) in reference to navigation.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
¿Cómo se dice 'piloto' cuando se refiere a una mujer?
The most common and traditionally correct way is 'la piloto.' However, many Spanish speakers, especially in Latin America, now use 'la pilota' to clearly indicate the feminine gender, similar to how 'la abogada' is used.
¿Es 'piloto' un verbo?
No, 'piloto' is a noun or an adjective. The verb form meaning 'to fly' or 'to steer' is 'pilotar' (e.g., 'Yo piloto el avión' - I fly the plane).