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How to Say "marbles" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “marbles” is “bolas” — use 'bolas' when referring to the small, spherical toys used in the game of marbles, or similar round objects..

English → Spanish

bolas

BOH-lahs/ˈbo.las/

nounA1general
Use 'bolas' when referring to the small, spherical toys used in the game of marbles, or similar round objects.
A collection of brightly colored spherical toy balls scattered on a floor.

Examples

Mi hijo quiere jugar a las bolas en el jardín.

My son wants to play marbles in the garden.

Las bolas rojas de Navidad están en la caja.

The red Christmas balls are in the box.

Necesitas tres bolas para jugar al billar.

You need three balls to play billiards.

Gender Reminder

Remember that 'bola' is feminine, so it takes feminine plural articles and adjectives (las bolas, bolas grandes).

olla

/OY-yah//ˈoʝa/

nounB2colloquial
Use 'olla' figuratively in the expression 'irse la olla' to mean losing one's mind or sanity.
A simple silhouette of a human head with a glowing lightbulb inside it to represent an idea.

Examples

Después del accidente, parecía que se le había ido la olla.

After the accident, it seemed like he had lost his mind.

¡Se te ha ido la olla por completo!

You have completely lost your mind!

No me comas la olla con tus problemas.

Don't get in my head with your problems.

Slang Usage

When used this way, 'olla' is always figurative. It treats the head like a container that holds your sanity.

Formal Contexts

Mistake: “Using 'se me fue la olla' in a job interview.”

Correction: This is very informal. Use 'me distraje' (I got distracted) or 'perdí el hilo' (I lost my thread) instead.

Literal vs. Idiomatic Use

The most common mistake is using 'olla' for the game pieces or 'bolas' for losing one's mind. Remember that 'bolas' refers to physical objects, while 'olla' is only used idiomatically for mental instability.

Related Translations

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