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How to Say "filled" in Spanish

English → Spanish

llena

YEH-nah/ˈʎe.na/

adjectiveA1general
Use 'llena' when something is physically full of a substance, like a container holding liquid or food.
A brown wicker basket completely stuffed with bright red apples, showing no empty space inside.

Examples

La taza está llena de café caliente.

The cup is full of hot coffee.

Tienes la nevera llena de comida.

You have the fridge filled with food.

Ella es una persona llena de alegría y energía.

She is a person full of joy and energy.

Adjective Agreement Rule

"Llena" is the feminine form. Always make sure the ending matches the noun you are describing: use "llena" for feminine nouns (like mesa, botella) and "lleno" for masculine nouns (like vaso, plato).

Confusing SER and ESTAR

Mistake: “El vaso es llena. (Incorrect)”

Correction: El vaso está lleno. (Correct). The verb 'estar' is usually used for temporary states, like being full or empty, unless you are using 'llena' to describe someone's personality (e.g., 'es una persona llena de energía').

relleno

/reh-YEH-noh//reˈʝeno/

adjectiveA2general
Use 'relleno' when an object has been stuffed or filled with another ingredient, commonly used for food items.
A soft, plump teddy bear sitting upright.

Examples

Comimos pimientos rellenos de arroz.

We ate peppers stuffed with rice.

Tengo un oso de peluche relleno de algodón.

I have a teddy bear stuffed with cotton.

Gender Matching

Remember to change the ending to 'rellena' if you are describing a feminine word like 'una aceituna' (an olive).

The 'Filled with' Trap

Mistake: “relleno con”

Correction: relleno de

cubierto

koo-BYEHR-toh/kuˈβjeɾto/

adjectiveA2financial/general
Use 'cubierto' when something is covered, often in a financial or insurance context, or literally covered by an object.
A small, simple wooden box is completely draped and concealed by a large, brightly colored red cloth.

Examples

La mesa del jardín estaba cubierta por una lona.

The garden table was covered by a tarp.

Hoy el cielo está cubierto, parece que va a llover.

Today the sky is cloudy, it looks like it's going to rain.

Hemos cubierto todos los gastos del viaje.

We have covered all the expenses of the trip.

Adjective Agreement

As an adjective, 'cubierto' must match the thing it describes in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural). For example: 'El plato está cubierto' (The plate is covered) vs. 'La mesa está cubierta' (The table is covered).

Irregular Past Participle

'Cubierto' is the irregular past participle of the verb 'cubrir' (to cover). This means it doesn't follow the usual '-ido' ending rule, but you use it exactly the same way to form perfect tenses (e.g., 'ha cubierto' = 'has covered').

Forgetting Gender

Mistake: “La caja está cubierto.”

Correction: La caja está cubierta. (Caja is feminine, so the adjective must be feminine.)

ocupados

oh-koo-PAH-dohs/okuˈpaðos/

adjectiveA2general
Use 'ocupados' when referring to positions, seats, or spaces that are taken or occupied by people or things.
A simple wooden park bench with two people already seated upon it, indicating that the seats are currently taken.

Examples

Todos los puestos de trabajo estaban ocupados por nuevos empleados.

All the job positions were occupied by new employees.

Lo siento, esos asientos ya están ocupados.

I'm sorry, those seats are already taken.

The Passive Voice

When 'ocupados' is used with 'ser,' it often indicates the passive voice, describing an action done to the object: 'Los cuartos fueron ocupados' (The rooms were occupied).

Full vs. Stuffed

Learners often confuse 'llena' and 'relleno'. Remember that 'llena' describes a container being full of something, while 'relleno' describes the item itself being stuffed with a filling.

Related Translations

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