Inklingo

How to Say "pavement" in Spanish

English → Spanish

cera

/seh-rah//ˈseɾa/

nounB2informal
Use 'cera' when referring to the sidewalk or pavement that pedestrians walk on, distinct from the street where vehicles drive.
A clean gray stone path running alongside a green lawn.

Examples

Por favor, no te sientes en la cera.

Please don't sit on the pavement.

No camines por la calle, ve por la cera.

Don't walk in the street, use the sidewalk.

Shortened forms

In some dialects, words starting with 'a' often lose that first letter in casual speech. 'Acera' becomes 'cera'.

Standard vs. Regional

Mistake:Using 'cera' for sidewalk in formal writing.

Correction: In essays or formal documents, always use 'acera'. Use 'cera' only when speaking casually in regions where it's common.

firme

FEER-meh/ˈfiɾme/

nounB2formal
Use 'firme' to describe the actual surface material of a road or path, especially when discussing its construction or condition.
A simple cross-section view illustrating the layers of a road, emphasizing the thick, foundational layer made of crushed stone and gravel.

Examples

El firme de la carretera está agrietado.

The road pavement is cracked.

Las obras de reparación del firme de la autopista durarán dos semanas.

The repair works on the highway pavement will last two weeks.

Gender Note

As a noun meaning 'road surface', 'firme' is always masculine: 'el firme'.

Cera vs. Firme

The most common mistake is using 'firme' for the pedestrian sidewalk. Remember that 'cera' specifically means the sidewalk you walk on, while 'firme' refers to the road's surface itself.

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