pluma
/ploo-mah/
feather
Pluma means 'feather', like this one that fell from a bird.
📝 In Action
Encontré una pluma muy grande en el jardín.
A1I found a very large feather in the garden.
El pájaro perdió varias plumas durante la muda.
A2The bird lost several feathers during the molt.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender Check
Remember that 'pluma' is always feminine, so you must use 'la pluma' or 'una pluma', and any descriptions (adjectives) must also be feminine.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Gender
Mistake: "El pluma es blanco."
Correction: La pluma es blanca. (Make sure the article and adjective match the feminine noun.)
Another meaning of pluma is 'pen', a tool for writing.
📝 In Action
Necesito una pluma para firmar estos documentos importantes.
A2I need a pen to sign these important documents.
Mi abuelo todavía usa una pluma estilográfica antigua.
B1My grandfather still uses an old fountain pen.
💡 Grammar Points
Historical Connection
This meaning comes directly from the quill pen—a feather used for writing before modern pens existed.
Pluma can also refer to a 'crane' or lifting machine used in construction.
📝 In Action
La pluma hidráulica levantó las vigas de acero al tercer piso.
B2The hydraulic crane lifted the steel beams to the third floor.
El trabajador controlaba la pluma de la grúa con un joystick.
C1The worker controlled the boom of the crane with a joystick.
💡 Grammar Points
Visual Connection
This meaning comes from the long, thin, projecting arm of the machine, which looks like a giant feather or quill.
Pluma also means 'writing style' or literary skill, often associated with elegant penmanship.
📝 In Action
Su pluma es reconocida por su elegancia y profundidad.
B2His writing style (or 'pen') is recognized for its elegance and depth.
Es una pluma brillante en el periodismo moderno.
C1She is a brilliant writer in modern journalism.
💡 Grammar Points
Literary Metaphor
This figurative use is a sophisticated way to talk about someone's writing talent, treating the writing tool ('pluma') as the talent itself.
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal Contexts
Reserve this meaning for reviewing books, articles, or discussing professional writers; it sounds overly dramatic in casual conversation.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: pluma
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'pluma' to mean a tool for writing?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
¿Es 'pluma' lo mismo que 'bolígrafo'?
Not exactly. 'Bolígrafo' is the standard word for a modern ballpoint pen in Spain. 'Pluma' often refers specifically to a fountain pen (pluma estilográfica), though in some Latin American countries, it can be used for any pen.
¿Por qué tiene tantos significados diferentes?
The core meaning is 'feather.' This led to 'pen' because feathers were used to write. The other meanings, like the crane arm or a writer's style, are visual or conceptual extensions of the original feather/writing tool idea.