How to Say "curb" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “curb” is “cordón” — use 'cordón' when referring to the physical edge of a sidewalk or street, acting as a border.
English → Spanish
cordón
nounB2common in Argentina/Uruguay
Use 'cordón' when referring to the physical edge of a sidewalk or street, acting as a border.
Examples
El coche se detuvo justo al lado del cordón.
The car stopped right next to the curb.
freno
FREH-nohˈfɾeno
nounB2general
Use 'freno' when you mean to restrain or control something, like an impulse, behavior, or excessive action.
Examples
Necesitas ponerle un freno a tus gastos excesivos.
You need to put a curb on your excessive spending.
No tiene freno cuando se pone a hablar.
He has no restraint once he starts talking.
La ley sirvió como un freno a la corrupción.
The law served as a check on corruption.
Figurative use
Just like in English, we use the word for stopping a car to describe stopping a behavior.
Physical vs. Figurative Curb
Learners often confuse 'cordón' and 'freno' by using the physical term for abstract concepts. Remember that 'cordón' is for the edge of a sidewalk, while 'freno' is used metaphorically to mean control or restraint.
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