Inklingo

How to Say "frame" in Spanish

English → Spanish

marco

/MAHR-koh//ˈmaɾko/

nounA1general
Use 'marco' when referring to the border or casing around something like a picture, mirror, door, or window.
A thick, ornate wooden picture frame resting against a solid colored background.

Examples

Necesito un marco de madera para esta pintura.

I need a wooden frame for this painting.

El marco de la ventana está roto.

The window frame is broken.

Ponte el marco de las gafas antes de leer.

Put on the frames of your glasses before reading.

Gender Rule

Remember that 'marco' is masculine, so you always use 'el marco' or 'un marco'.

cuerpo

/KWER-po//'kweɾpo/

nounA1general
Use 'cuerpo' when referring to the physical body or its skeletal structure.
A simple, stylized illustration of a complete, standing human figure, showing the head, torso, and limbs.

Examples

Me duele todo el cuerpo después de hacer ejercicio.

My whole body hurts after exercising.

Es importante mantener el cuerpo hidratado.

It's important to keep the body hydrated.

Always Masculine

Even though 'body' has no gender in English, 'cuerpo' is always a masculine word in Spanish. So, you'll always say 'el cuerpo' (the body) or 'un cuerpo' (a body).

cuadro

/KWAA-droh//ˈkwaðɾo/

nounA2general
Use 'cuadro' for the structural frame of a bicycle, machine, or a geometric shape like a square.
A single, solid yellow geometric square shape.

Examples

Dibuja un cuadro perfecto con cuatro lados iguales.

Draw a perfect square with four equal sides.

El cuadro de la bicicleta es demasiado grande para mí.

The frame of the bicycle is too big for me.

Using 'Cuadrado'

Mistake: “Using 'cuadro' when you mean the adjective 'square-shaped'.”

Correction: Use 'cuadrado' (adjective) to describe something that is square: 'una mesa cuadrada'. Use 'cuadro' (noun) to refer to the object itself: 'un cuadro'.

huesos

/WÉH-sohs//ˈwesos/

nounB1general
Use 'huesos' specifically when talking about bones or the feeling of being cold to the bone.
A small person sitting down and shivering violently, wrapped in a thin red blanket. The person's skin is tinged blue to show extreme cold, emphasizing feeling cold deeply.

Examples

Hace tanto frío que tengo la sensación de tener frío hasta los huesos.

It's so cold that I feel cold right down to the core (literally, 'down to the bones').

Esa mujer es ambiciosa hasta los huesos; no le importa nadie más.

That woman is ambitious to the core; she doesn't care about anyone else.

The Phrase 'Hasta los huesos'

This phrase is used to emphasize that a feeling (usually cold, but sometimes a quality like ambition or evil) affects you completely or reaches your deepest being.

Confusing 'marco' and 'cuadro'

Learners often confuse 'marco' and 'cuadro'. Remember that 'marco' is primarily for borders around objects like pictures or windows, while 'cuadro' refers more to a structural framework, like that of a bicycle or a geometric square.

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