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vela

VAY-lah/ˈbe.la/

“vela” means “candle” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:

candle

Also: taper
NounfA1
A single, white candle with a bright yellow flame burning brightly against a dark background.

📝 In Action

En la oscuridad, encendimos una vela para ver.

A1

In the darkness, we lit a candle to see.

Puso tres velas en el pastel de cumpleaños.

A1

She put three candles on the birthday cake.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • cirio (large candle)

Common Collocations

  • encender una vela – to light a candle
  • apagar la vela – to blow out the candle

sail

Also: sailing
NounfB1
A simple wooden sailboat featuring a large, inflated white triangular sail catching the wind on blue water.

📝 In Action

El viento hinchó la vela y el barco aceleró.

B1

The wind filled the sail and the boat sped up.

Aprendió a hacer vela el verano pasado.

B1

He learned how to sail last summer (literally, 'to do sail').

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • velamen (set of sails)

Common Collocations

  • izar la vela – to hoist the sail
  • barco de vela – sailboat

Idioms & Expressions

  • a toda vela – at full speed

watches

Also: stays awake, keeps watch over
VerbB1regular ar
A friendly storybook character standing on a small green hill, looking intently towards the distant horizon with focused eyes.
infinitivevelar
gerundvelando
past Participlevelado

📝 In Action

La enfermera vela por el paciente toda la noche.

B1

The nurse watches over the patient all night.

Él vela para terminar su proyecto a tiempo.

B2

He stays awake (keeps vigil) to finish his project on time.

Usted vela por la seguridad de todos.

B1

You (formal) ensure the safety of everyone.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • velar por la paz – to ensure peace

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedvela
yovelo
túvelas
ellos/ellas/ustedesvelan
nosotrosvelamos
vosotrosveláis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedvelaba
yovelaba
túvelabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesvelaban
nosotrosvelábamos
vosotrosvelabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedveló
yovelé
túvelaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesvelaron
nosotrosvelamos
vosotrosvelasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedvele
yovele
túveles
ellos/ellas/ustedesvelen
nosotrosvelemos
vosotrosveléis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedvelara / velase
yovelara / velase
túvelaras / velases
ellos/ellas/ustedesvelaran / velasen
nosotrosveláramos / velásemos
vosotrosvelarais / velaseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "vela" in Spanish:

candle→sail→sailing→stays awake→taper→watches→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: vela

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'vela' to mean 'to watch over'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
velero(sailboat/sailor) — Noun
velar(to watch over/to cover with a veil) — Verb
velada(evening party/wake) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word 'vela' is a homonym, meaning it has two different origins that resulted in the same Spanish spelling. The meaning 'sail' comes from the Latin word *vēlum* (meaning veil or curtain). The meaning 'candle' and the verb 'velar' (to watch) come from the Latin *vigilare* (to keep watch or stay awake), as candles were necessary for night watches.

First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish.

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: velaPortuguese: velaFrench: voile

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if 'vela' means 'candle' or 'sail'?

Context is key! If you are talking about light, birthdays, or religion, it means 'candle.' If you are talking about the ocean, wind, or boats, it means 'sail.' Both noun forms are feminine ('la vela').

Is 'vela' related to the word 'velorio'?

Yes. 'Velorio' (a wake or vigil) is directly related to the verb 'velar' (to watch or stay awake), which shares the root with 'vela' (candle), as candles were traditionally used during wakes.