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planta

PLAN-tah/ˈplan.ta/

plant

Also: vegetation
NounfA1
A vibrant green potted houseplant with large, simple leaves resting on a surface.

📝 In Action

Mi abuela tiene muchas plantas medicinales en su patio.

A2

My grandmother has many medicinal plants in her yard.

Necesitas regar la planta una vez a la semana.

A1

You need to water the plant once a week.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • vegetal (vegetable/plant)
  • arbusto (bush)

Common Collocations

  • planta de interior – houseplant / indoor plant
  • planta baja – ground floor (also applies to Definition 2)

floor

Also: story
NounfA2
A simplified cross-section view of a building showing two distinct horizontal levels or stories.

📝 In Action

La sala de conferencias está en la quinta planta.

A2

The conference room is on the fifth floor.

Vamos a subir a la planta de arriba por las escaleras.

B1

We are going up to the floor above using the stairs.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • planta baja – ground floor (UK) / first floor (US)
  • planta superior – upper floor

sole

Also: tread
NounfB1
The underside view of a bare human foot, clearly highlighting the curved surface of the sole.

📝 In Action

Sentí una astilla clavada en la planta del pie.

B1

I felt a splinter stuck in the sole of my foot.

El masajista me frotó la planta para aliviar el dolor.

B2

The masseuse rubbed my sole to relieve the pain.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • planta del pie – sole of the foot
  • dolor de planta – sole pain

factory

Also: facility
NounfB2
A large, simplistic industrial factory building with several tall smokestacks emitting white smoke.

📝 In Action

La planta automotriz cerrará temporalmente por mantenimiento.

B2

The automotive plant will close temporarily for maintenance.

Trabajan en una planta que produce componentes electrónicos.

C1

They work at a factory that produces electronic components.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • fábrica (factory)
  • taller (workshop)

Common Collocations

  • planta nuclear – nuclear plant
  • planta de producción – production plant

to plant

Also: to stand firm, to stand up / to abandon
VerbN/AA2regular ar
A hand gently inserting a small green seedling into dark brown soil, illustrating the action of planting.
infinitiveplantar
gerundplantando
past Participleplantado

📝 In Action

El jardinero planta flores nuevas cada mes de mayo.

A2

The gardener plants new flowers every May. (Uses 'planta')

Él siempre se planta y no cambia de opinión.

B2

He always stands firm and doesn't change his mind.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • plantar cara – to stand up to/face (a challenge)
  • plantar un árbol – to plant a tree

Idioms & Expressions

  • Me plantó en la cita. – He/She stood me up on the date.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedplanta
yoplanto
túplantas
ellos/ellas/ustedesplantan
nosotrosplantamos
vosotrosplantáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedplantaba
yoplantaba
túplantabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesplantaban
nosotrosplantábamos
vosotrosplantabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedplantó
yoplanté
túplantaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesplantaron
nosotrosplantamos
vosotrosplantasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedplante
yoplante
túplantes
ellos/ellas/ustedesplanten
nosotrosplantemos
vosotrosplantéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedplantara/plantase
yoplantara/plantase
túplantaras/plantases
ellos/ellas/ustedesplantaran/plantasen
nosotrosplantáramos/plantásemos
vosotrosplantarais/plantaseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: planta

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'planta' to refer to a specific location in a building?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
plantar(to plant) — Verb
plantación(plantation) — Noun
plantilla(template, insole, staff) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes directly from the Latin word *planta*, which originally meant 'sprout' or 'cutting' (a piece of a plant used for growing), and also referred to the 'sole of the foot.' This shared root explains the two main physical meanings (vegetation and foot base). The meanings related to 'floor' and 'factory' evolved later, based on the idea of a flat surface or a fixed foundation.

First recorded: 13th century (in Spanish)

Cognates (Related words)

English: plantFrench: planteItalian: pianta

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'planta' always feminine?

Yes, in all of its noun meanings (plant, floor, sole, factory), 'planta' is a feminine noun, requiring 'la' or 'una'.

What is the difference between 'planta baja' and 'primer piso'?

'Planta baja' is the floor at street level (the ground floor). The 'primer piso' is the floor immediately above the ground floor.