How to Say "blades" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “blades” is “cuchillos” — use this word when referring to the sharp, cutting edges of tools like knives or razors, or multiple knives for eating..
cuchillos
koo-CHEE-yos/kuˈtʃiʎos/
Examples
El cocinero afiló los cuchillos antes de preparar la cena.
The chef sharpened the blades before preparing dinner.
Necesitamos más cuchillos en la mesa para los invitados.
We need more knives on the table for the guests.
Los cuchillos de la cocina son muy afilados, ten cuidado.
The kitchen knives are very sharp, be careful.
Puso los cuchillos, tenedores y cucharas en el cajón.
He put the knives, forks, and spoons in the drawer.
Masculine Plural
Since 'cuchillo' is a masculine word, its plural form 'cuchillos' must always be used with masculine plural words like 'los' (the) or 'unos' (some).
Gender Mismatch
Mistake: “Las cuchillos”
Correction: Los cuchillos. Since the base word 'cuchillo' ends in -o, it is masculine, so you must use 'los' for the plural.
hojas
OH-has/ˈo.xas/
Examples
Las hojas de las tijeras estaban oxidadas.
The blades of the scissors were rusted.
Las hojas del cuchillo estaban recién afiladas.
The blades of the knife were recently sharpened.
Tuvimos que reemplazar las hojas de la sierra.
We had to replace the saw blades.
alas
AH-lahs/ˈa.las/
Examples
Las alas del ventilador giraban lentamente.
The blades of the fan were spinning slowly.
Las aves extienden sus alas antes de despegar.
The birds extend their wings before taking off.
El avión tiene alas muy grandes para un vuelo tan corto.
The plane has very large wings for such a short flight.
El entrenador reforzó las alas de su equipo para el contraataque.
The coach strengthened the flanks (wings) of his team for the counterattack.
Feminine Noun, Masculine Article (Singular)
The singular form, 'ala,' is a feminine word, but because it starts with a stressed 'A' sound, we use the masculine article 'el' (el ala) instead of 'la' to make it easier to say. In the plural, we use the correct feminine article: 'las alas'.
Using the wrong article in plural
Mistake: “Los alas”
Correction: Las alas. Remember, the word is feminine, and in the plural, it takes the standard feminine article 'las'.
espadas
ess-PAH-dahs/esˈpaðas/
Examples
El brillo de las espadas iluminó la sala del trono.
The gleam of the blades lit up the throne room.
Los guerreros lucharon con sus espadas de acero.
The warriors fought with their steel swords.
En el museo hay una colección de espadas antiguas.
In the museum there is a collection of ancient swords.
El duelo terminó cuando las espadas cayeron al suelo.
The duel ended when the swords fell to the ground.
Feminine Plural
Remember that 'espadas' is feminine and plural, so any words describing it (like adjectives) must also be feminine and plural (e.g., 'espadas largas').
Gender Confusion
Mistake: “El espadas”
Correction: Las espadas. The base word 'espada' is feminine, so the plural form also uses the feminine article 'las'.
Distinguishing 'cuchillos' from 'hojas'
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