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How to Say "fragment" in Spanish

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pedazo

peh-DAH-thoh (Spain) / peh-DAH-soh (Latin America)peˈðaθo

nounA1general
Use 'pedazo' for a general, often larger, piece or chunk that has broken off something, or for a portion of an item like paper or cake.
A large, circular brown cookie lying on a surface, with one small, jagged piece cleanly broken off and resting beside the main cookie.

Examples

Me comí un pedazo de pastel.

I ate a piece of cake.

Necesito un pedazo de papel para escribir una nota.

I need a piece of paper to write a note.

El jarrón se cayó y se rompió en mil pedazos.

The vase fell and broke into a thousand pieces.

Guárdame un pedazo de pizza, por favor.

Save me a slice of pizza, please.

Always Masculine

Even when referring to items that might be feminine (like 'la tarta'), 'pedazo' itself is always masculine: 'un pedazo de tarta' (a piece of cake).

Confusing 'piece' and 'part'

Mistake: “Usar 'parte' para una porción física pequeña (e.g., 'una parte de pastel').”

Correction: Use 'pedazo' or 'trozo' for a physical portion you can hold or eat. 'Parte' refers more to a section or role.

fragmento

frahg-MEHN-tohfɾaɣˈmento

nounA2general
Choose 'fragmento' when referring to small, often sharp or irregular pieces broken off from a larger whole, especially materials like glass or rock.
A single piece of a broken blue ceramic bowl lying on a plain surface.

Examples

Encontraron fragmentos de cerámica antigua.

They found fragments of ancient pottery.

Había fragmentos de vidrio por todo el suelo.

There were shards of glass all over the floor.

Los arqueólogos encontraron un fragmento de cerámica antigua.

The archaeologists found a piece of ancient pottery.

Solo recuperaron un pequeño fragmento del avión.

They only recovered a small fragment of the plane.

Always Masculine

Even if the object it comes from is feminine (like 'una botella'), the word 'fragmento' itself is always masculine.

Connecting with 'De'

To say what the piece is made of, use 'fragmento de' followed by the material or object.

Using 'fragmento' for food

Mistake: “Un fragmento de pastel.”

Correction: Un trozo de pastel. Use 'trozo' or 'pedazo' for food portions; 'fragmento' sounds like the cake exploded into tiny bits!

partícula

nounB1general
Use 'partícula' for extremely tiny, often microscopic pieces or specks, such as dust or even subatomic elements.

Examples

El aire estaba lleno de partículas de polen.

The air was full of pollen particles.

Fragmento vs. Pedazo

Learners often confuse 'fragmento' and 'pedazo'. Remember that 'pedazo' is more general and can refer to a simple piece of something (like paper), while 'fragmento' specifically implies a broken-off piece, often smaller and more irregular, like shards.

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