Inklingo

How to Say "sheets" in Spanish

English → Spanish

sábanas

nounA1general
Use this word for the fabric coverings on a bed.

Examples

Necesito comprar sábanas nuevas para la cama grande.

I need to buy new sheets for the big bed.

hojas

OH-hasˈo.xas

nounA1general
This term refers to individual sheets of paper, like those used for writing or printing.
A clean stack of several white, rectangular sheets of blank paper resting on a surface.

Examples

Por favor, dame dos hojas en blanco.

Please, give me two blank sheets of paper.

Tengo que leer estas diez hojas antes de la clase.

I have to read these ten pages before class.

Counting Paper

When counting paper, use 'hojas'. If you mean the numbered side of a book, you can also use 'páginas', but 'hojas' is always correct for pieces of paper.

papeles

pah-PEH-lehspaˈpeles

nounA1general
Use this word to refer to multiple individual pages or documents, often implying a collection of papers.
A neat stack of blank, white rectangular sheets of paper sitting on a simple wooden desk.

Examples

Recoge esos papeles del escritorio, por favor.

Please pick up those papers from the desk.

Necesitamos más papeles para la impresora.

We need more paper (sheets) for the printer.

Plural Form

This is the plural form of the masculine noun 'papel.' Remember to use plural adjectives with it, like 'los papeles blancos' (the white papers).

placas

PLAH-kasˈplakas

nounB1general
This word is used for flat, rigid sheets of materials like glass, metal, or stone.
A polished, rectangular bronze plaque is mounted on a stone wall. The plaque features a raised, stylized design of a laurel wreath, representing a memorial or decorative sign.

Examples

Colocaron unas placas de mármol en la pared del edificio.

They placed marble plaques on the wall of the building.

El dentista dijo que tengo que cepillarme mejor para quitar las placas.

The dentist said I have to brush better to remove the plaque (deposits).

Dental or Solar

The meaning of 'placas' depends entirely on context. Are you talking about teeth ('placas dentales') or energy ('placas solares')?

Paper vs. Bedding

The most common confusion for learners is between 'hojas'/'papeles' (for paper) and 'sábanas' (for bedding). Remember that 'sábanas' is exclusively for bed linens, while 'hojas' or 'papeles' refer to paper items.

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