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trueno

TWAY-noh/ˈtɾweno/

“trueno” means “thunder” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

thunder

Also: clap, boom
NounmA2
General
A dark, stormy sky with large, heavy clouds and a bright bolt of lightning striking down.

📝 In Action

El trueno me asustó anoche.

A1

The thunder scared me last night.

Se escuchó un trueno a lo lejos antes de que empezara a llover.

A2

A clap of thunder was heard in the distance before it started to rain.

Los truenos ensordecedores no nos dejaron dormir.

B1

The deafening thunders didn't let us sleep.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • estruendo (loud crash/boom)
  • fragor (roar/clamor)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • un trueno ensordecedor – a deafening thunder
  • el rugido del trueno – the roar of the thunder
  • oír un trueno – to hear thunder

Idioms & Expressions

  • truenos y centellas – used to express anger or to describe a violent storm
  • como un trueno – very fast or with a lot of noise

I thunder/boom

Also: I snap, I fail
VerbB1irregular ar
Mexico
A large drum being hit with mallets, showing vibration lines to represent a loud booming sound.
gerundtronando
past Participletronado
infinitivetronar

📝 In Action

Yo trueno mis dedos cuando estoy nervioso.

B1

I snap my fingers when I am nervous.

Si no estudio, trueno en el examen de mañana.

B2

If I don't study, I'll fail tomorrow's exam.

Yo no trueno la dinamita, lo hace el experto.

C1

I don't detonate the dynamite, the expert does it.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • estallar (to burst/explode)
  • reprobar (to fail (an exam))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • tronar los dedos – to snap one's fingers
  • tronar los huesos – to crack one's knuckles/bones

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedestronaran
yotronara
tútronaras
vosotrostronarais
nosotrostronáramos
él/ella/ustedtronara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedestruenen
yotruene
tútruenes
vosotrostronéis
nosotrostronemos
él/ella/ustedtruene

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedestronaron
yotroné
tútronaste
vosotrostronasteis
nosotrostronamos
él/ella/ustedtronó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedestronaban
yotronaba
tútronabas
vosotrostronabais
nosotrostronábamos
él/ella/ustedtronaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedestruenan
yotrueno
tútruenas
vosotrostronáis
nosotrostronamos
él/ella/ustedtruena
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "trueno" in Spanish:

clap→i snap→thunder→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: trueno

Question 1 of 3

Which of these do you HEAR during a storm?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
tronar(to thunder/boom/fail) — Verb
atronador(thunderous/deafening) — Adjective
tronada(thunderstorm) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'tonitrus,' which describes the sound of thunder. It shares the same ancient root as the English word 'thunder.'

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: trovãoItalian: tuonoFrench: tonnerre

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'trueno' the same as 'lightning'?

No. 'Trueno' is the sound (thunder). 'Rayo' is the physical bolt that hits the ground, and 'relámpago' is the flash of light in the sky.

Can I use 'trueno' as a verb?

Yes, 'trueno' is the 'I' form of the verb 'tronar.' For example: 'Yo trueno los dedos' (I snap my fingers).

Is it 'el trueno' or 'la trueno'?

It is always 'el trueno' (masculine).