Inklingo

How to Say "clothes" in Spanish

English → Spanish

ropa

/ROH-pah//'ro.pa/

NounA1General
Use 'ropa' for the general, everyday concept of garments and apparel that you wear.
A colorful pile of various garments, including a folded shirt, a pair of pants, and a sweater, representing the concept of clothes.

Examples

Necesito comprar ropa nueva.

I need to buy new clothes.

Puse toda la ropa sucia en la lavadora.

I put all the dirty laundry in the washing machine.

Esta tienda vende ropa de hombre y de mujer.

This store sells men's and women's clothing.

Always Singular for 'Clothes'

In Spanish, 'ropa' is a special type of noun that means a group of things. Even when you're talking about many shirts, pants, and socks, you almost always use the singular form 'la ropa'. Think of it like 'furniture' or 'information' in English; you wouldn't say 'furnitures'.

Using 'Ropas' for 'Clothes'

Mistake: “Tengo muchas ropas nuevas.”

Correction: Tengo mucha ropa nueva. The plural 'ropas' is very rare and only used to talk about different *types* of clothing collections (like 'ropa de invierno' and 'ropa de verano' are two different 'ropas'). For everyday use, 99% of the time, you should stick with singular 'ropa'.

garras

/GAH-rrahs//ˈɡaras/

NounC1Informal, Slang
Use 'garras' to refer to clothing informally, often implying older, worn, or perhaps stylish/fancy outfits.
A pile of folded, worn-out colorful clothes.

Examples

Ponte tus mejores garras para la fiesta.

Put on your best clothes for the party.

General vs. Informal Clothing

Learners often overuse 'garras' when 'ropa' is the appropriate, neutral term. Remember that 'ropa' is the standard word for clothes in most situations, while 'garras' is more colloquial and specific.

Related Translations

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