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.
BOH-lahsˈbo.las
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).
OY-yahˈoʝa
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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