Inklingo

How to Say "eye" in Spanish

English → Spanish

ojo

OH-hohˈoxo

nounA1general
Use 'ojo' when referring to the body part used for sight, or the opening in a needle or certain tools.
A close-up illustration of a single human eye with a brown iris, long eyelashes, and a bright white sclera.

Examples

Tengo que comprar una aguja nueva porque el ojo de esta está muy pequeño.

I have to buy a new needle because the eye of this one is too small.

Tienes un ojo verde y el otro azul. ¡Qué peculiar!

You have one green eye and the other blue. How peculiar!

Me duele el ojo izquierdo después de leer tanto.

My left eye hurts after reading so much.

Es muy difícil meter el hilo por el ojo de la aguja.

It is very difficult to put the thread through the eye of the needle.

Masculine Noun

Even though many body parts are feminine (like 'la mano' or 'la cabeza'), 'ojo' is always masculine: 'el ojo' (the eye).

Figurative Use

This meaning extends the concept of the 'eye' as a small, central viewing point or passage, such as in tools or mechanisms.

Using the definite article

Mistake: “Me duele mi ojo.”

Correction: Me duele el ojo. (Spanish often uses 'el' or 'la' instead of 'mi' or 'tu' when talking about body parts, especially with verbs like 'doler'.)

pupila

poo-PEE-lahpuˈpila

nounB1literary/poetic/medical
Use 'pupila' primarily in literary or poetic contexts when referring to eyes metaphorically, or specifically to the dark central part of the eye that controls light intake.
A close-up illustration of a human eye focusing on the dark circular opening in the center.

Examples

Sus pupilas se dilataron al ver la belleza del paisaje.

Her pupils dilated upon seeing the beauty of the landscape.

Las pupilas se dilatan cuando hay poca luz.

The pupils dilate when there is little light.

El médico examinó su pupila con una linterna pequeña.

The doctor examined her pupil with a small flashlight.

Sus pupilas brillaban de emoción al ver el regalo.

Her eyes (pupils) sparkled with excitement upon seeing the gift.

Always Feminine

The word 'pupila' is always feminine, regardless of whether you are talking about a man's eye or a woman's eye.

Plural Form

To talk about both eyes, simply add an 's' to make 'pupilas'. It follows the standard pattern for words ending in a vowel.

Confusing with 'Student'

Mistake: “Using 'pupila' to mean a regular classroom student.”

Correction: Use 'alumna' or 'estudiante' for school settings. 'Pupila' for a person is very formal or refers to a legal ward.

hembra

EM-brah (like 'em' in 'ember' followed by 'brah')ˈem.bɾa

nounC1technical/specific
Use 'hembra' only when referring to the 'female' part of a hook-and-eye fastener, contrasting with the 'macho' (male) part.
A close-up view of a simple, cylindrical metal socket opening, designed to receive a corresponding plug or pin.

Examples

Asegúrate de que la hembra del broche esté bien sujeta.

Make sure the female part of the clasp is well secured.

Necesitas alinear el macho con la hembra para cerrar la cerradura.

You need to align the male part with the female part (socket) to close the lock.

La conexión tiene una cabeza macho y una hembra.

The connection has a male head and a female head (receptacle).

Technical Gender Analogy

In technical Spanish, 'hembra' (female) is used for the part that receives or contains something, while 'macho' (male) is the part that inserts or connects.

Confusing 'ojo' with 'hembra' or 'pupila'

Learners often mistakenly use 'ojo' for the fastener part ('hembra') or the poetic sense ('pupila'). Remember that 'ojo' is almost always for the body part or a tool's opening. 'Hembra' is strictly for fasteners, and 'pupila' is for literary descriptions or the biological pupil.

Related Translations

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