placas
/PLAH-kas/
license plates
In the context of vehicle identification, 'placas' refers to license plates.
placas(noun)
license plates
?vehicle identification
,tags
?US informal for license plates
number plates
?UK English
📝 In Action
Olvidé poner las placas nuevas en el coche.
A2I forgot to put the new license plates on the car.
La policía revisó las placas para ver si el carro era robado.
B1The police checked the plates to see if the car was stolen.
💡 Grammar Points
Always Feminine Plural
Remember that 'placas' is always a feminine word, so you must use feminine words (like 'las' or 'estas') before it.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Plates and Registration
Mistake: "Using 'registro' when you mean the physical plates."
Correction: 'Registro' is the act of registering; 'placas' are the physical identifiers on the car.
⭐ Usage Tips
Regional Differences
In some countries, 'matrículas' is more formal or common, but 'placas' is understood everywhere for vehicle identification.
These memorial or decorative signs are known as 'placas' (plaques).
placas(noun)
plaques
?memorial or decorative signs
,slabs
?thin, flat pieces of material
sheets
?of glass or metal
,boards
?circuit boards (shortened)
📝 In Action
Colocaron unas placas de mármol en la pared del edificio.
B1They placed marble plaques on the wall of the building.
El dentista dijo que tengo que cepillarme mejor para quitar las placas.
B2The dentist said I have to brush better to remove the plaque (deposits).
💡 Grammar Points
Dental or Solar
The meaning of 'placas' depends entirely on context. Are you talking about teeth ('placas dentales') or energy ('placas solares')?
⭐ Usage Tips
Shortening Medical Terms
Spanish speakers often shorten 'placas de rayos X' (X-ray images) to just 'placas' when at the doctor's office.
The verb 'placas' means 'you plate' (tú form), referring to the action of coating a surface.
placas(verb)
you plate
?coating a surface (tú form)
you coat
?applying a thin layer (tú form)
📝 In Action
Si tú placas el cobre con plata, no se oxida.
B2If you plate the copper with silver, it won't oxidize.
Espero que tú no placas la pared con ese material tan barato.
C1I hope you don't coat the wall with such cheap material. (Subjunctive use)
💡 Grammar Points
-car Verbs are Tricky
When conjugating '-car' verbs like 'placar', the 'c' changes to 'qu' before 'e' (like in the subjunctive and the 'yo' preterite) to keep the hard 'k' sound.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Spelling Change
Mistake: "Writing 'yo placo' (preterite) or 'que tú places' (subjunctive)."
Correction: The correct forms are 'yo plaqué' (preterite) and 'que tú plaques' (subjunctive) to maintain the pronunciation.
⭐ Usage Tips
Recognizing the Form
If you see 'placas' used as a verb, it is almost certainly addressing one person directly (the 'tú' form) in the present tense.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: placas
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'placas' to mean something related to medicine?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'placas' the same as 'matrículas'?
They refer to the same thing: license plates. 'Placas' is generally more common and informal in many parts of Latin America, while 'matrículas' is often used in Spain and sometimes more formally in Latin America.
How do I know if 'placas' is a noun or a verb?
If you see 'las placas' or 'unas placas', it's the noun (license plates, plaques, etc.). If you see 'tú placas', it's the verb form meaning 'you plate' or 'you coat'.