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How to Say "drops" in Spanish

English → Spanish

gotas

/GOH-tahs//ˈɡotas/

nounA1general
Use 'gotas' when referring to small, spherical units of liquid, such as rain, water, or medicinal liquid dispensed from a dropper.
Large, clear blue raindrops falling against a soft light blue background.

Examples

Siento unas gotas de lluvia.

I feel a few drops of rain.

Había gotas de sudor en su frente.

There were drops of sweat on his forehead.

Necesito gotas para los ojos porque los tengo secos.

I need eye drops because my eyes are dry.

El doctor me recetó unas gotas para el oído.

The doctor prescribed some ear drops for me.

Making 'Gota' Plural

To talk about more than one drop, we simply add an '-s' to the end of the word 'gota'.

Always Feminine

This word is feminine, so use 'las' or 'unas' when referring to it: 'las gotas' (the drops).

Gender Error

Mistake: “los gotas”

Correction: las gotas

cae

/kah-eh//ˈka.e/

verbA1general
Use 'cae' (a form of 'caer') when something loses its grip or balance and falls downwards.
A ripe red apple detaching from a green tree branch and falling rapidly toward the ground.

Examples

Si no tienes cuidado, el jarrón cae al suelo.

If you are not careful, the vase falls to the floor.

Siempre que llueve, la temperatura cae.

Whenever it rains, the temperature drops.

Ella tropieza y cae de rodillas.

She trips and falls to her knees.

The Irregular 'Yo' Form

The 'yo' form (I) is special: 'caigo'. This extra 'g' sound helps the word flow better and is a common pattern in Spanish verbs.

Confusing 'caer' and 'dejar caer'

Mistake: “Using 'cae' when you mean 'drops (on purpose)'.”

Correction: Use 'deja caer' (lets fall) for intentional dropping: 'Ella deja caer la pluma' (She drops the pen). 'La pluma cae' means the pen falls by itself.

suelta

/SWEL-tah//ˈswelta/

verbA2general
Use 'suelta' (a form of 'soltar') when referring to the action of letting go or releasing something or someone.
A close-up view of a person's hand opening their fingers to release a small, colorful bird that is flying away.

Examples

Mi hermana suelta a su gato solo los fines de semana.

My sister releases her cat only on the weekends.

¡Suelta el juguete, es mío!

Let go of the toy, it's mine!

Cuando ella habla, suelta frases muy sabias.

When she speaks, she lets out very wise phrases (figurative).

The O > UE Change

Notice how the 'o' in the middle of the verb 'soltar' changes to 'ue' (suelta) in most present tenses, except for 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'.

Forgetting the Stem Change

Mistake: “Él solta la cuerda.”

Correction: Él suelta la cuerda. (Remember the 'ue' sound in the present tense!)

lágrimas

nounB2colloquial
Use 'lágrimas' metaphorically to describe the streaks of liquid that form on the side of a glass, especially with alcoholic beverages like wine.

Examples

El vino tiene buenas 'lágrimas', lo que indica alta graduación.

The wine has good 'legs' (or 'tears'), which indicates high alcohol content.

Dropping vs. Droplets

The most common confusion is between 'gotas' (liquid droplets) and 'cae'/'suelta' (the action of dropping). Remember that 'gotas' refers to the physical substance, while 'cae' and 'suelta' describe the movement or action of something falling or being released.

Related Translations

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