vial
“vial” means “road” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
road
Also: traffic-related
📝 In Action
La seguridad vial es una prioridad en la ciudad.
B1Road safety is a priority in the city.
Los niños reciben clases de educación vial en la escuela.
B1Children receive traffic safety lessons at school.
Hubo un accidente vial en la autopista esta mañana.
B2There was a road accident on the highway this morning.
vial
Also: small bottle
📝 In Action
El enfermero sacó el medicamento del vial.
B2The nurse took the medicine out of the vial.
Cada vial contiene cinco dosis de la vacuna.
C1Each vial contains five doses of the vaccine.
Se debe agitar el vial antes de usarlo.
C1The vial must be shaken before use.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: vial
Question 1 of 3
What does 'seguridad vial' mean?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'vialis', which means 'belonging to the road'. This comes from the root 'via' meaning way, path, or road.
First recorded: 18th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'vial' the same as 'vía'?
No. 'Vía' is a noun meaning the road itself. 'Vial' is usually an adjective describing something *related* to the road (like safety or signs).
Can I use 'vial' for a perfume bottle?
Technically, if it's very small and looks like a lab bottle, yes, but 'frasquito' or 'muestra' (sample) is much more common for perfume.
How do I make 'vial' plural?
Since it ends in a consonant, just add '-es' to get 'viales'.