How to Say "beads" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “beads” is “cuentas” — use 'cuentas' when referring to general beads used for jewelry making, crafts, or as decorative elements, like wooden or glass beads..
cuentas
KWEHN-tas/ˈkwen.tas/
Examples
Hizo un collar con cuentas de colores.
She made a necklace with colorful beads.
El collar está hecho de cuentas de madera.
The necklace is made of wooden beads.
Ella ensarta las cuentas para hacer una pulsera.
She strings the beads together to make a bracelet.
Visualizing the Connection
Think of a bead as an item used for counting—like the beads on an abacus or rosary. This helps connect this meaning back to the verb 'contar' (to count).
perlas
/PEHR-lahs//ˈpeɾlas/
Examples
El anillo tiene una pequeña perla en el centro.
The ring has a small pearl in the center.
Ella heredó un hermoso collar de perlas de su abuela.
She inherited a beautiful pearl necklace from her grandmother.
Gotas de sudor, como pequeñas perlas, cubrían su frente.
Drops of sweat, like small beads, covered his forehead.
Sus palabras eran perlas de sabiduría.
His words were gems of wisdom.
Making it Plural
Since 'perla' ends in a vowel, we simply add an '-s' to make it plural: 'perlas'.
Confusing General Beads with Pearls
Related Translations
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