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plumas

plu-mas/ˈplu.mas/

“plumas” means “feathers” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

feathers

Also: down
NounfA1
Several soft, colorful blue and red bird feathers floating gently in the air.

📝 In Action

El pato tiene plumas muy suaves para protegerse del frío.

A1

The duck has very soft feathers to protect itself from the cold.

Mi chaqueta de invierno está rellena de plumas.

A2

My winter jacket is filled with down.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • plumaje (plumage)

Common Collocations

  • perder plumas – to lose feathers
  • chaqueta de plumas – down jacket

pens

Also: quills
NounfB1
Mexico
A simple brown writing quill resting next to a small glass inkwell filled with black ink.

📝 In Action

El escritor solo usa plumas estilográficas para firmar sus libros.

B1

The writer only uses fountain pens to sign his books.

Olvidé mis plumas en casa y no puedo tomar notas.

A2

I forgot my pens at home and can't take notes.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • bolígrafos (ballpoint pens)
  • lapiceros (pencils/pens (regional))

Common Collocations

  • juego de plumas – set of pens

Idioms & Expressions

  • ser una pluma – to be a great writer/journalist

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "plumas" in Spanish:

feathers→pens→quills→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: plumas

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'plumas' in the sense of 'writing tools'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
pluma(feather, pen (singular)) — Noun
plumero(duster (feather duster)) — Noun
plumar(to pluck (feathers)) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
brumasespumas
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes directly from the Latin word *plūma*, meaning 'a soft feather' or 'down'. This connection is why the word means both 'feathers' and 'pens,' since the earliest writing tools were quills made from large bird feathers.

First recorded: Around the 13th century (in Spanish)

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: piumaFrench: plume

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'plumas' ever a verb?

Yes! 'Plumas' is the 'tú' (you, singular informal) form of the verb 'plumar,' which means 'to pluck' or 'to strip feathers.' For example, 'Tú plumas el pollo' means 'You pluck the chicken.'

Why does one word mean both 'feathers' and 'pens'?

The connection is historical. Before mass-produced metal and plastic pens, people wrote with feather quills. The writing implement was literally a feather, so the word stuck for the modern tool, even if it's no longer made of feathers.