Inklingo

How to Say "shoes" in Spanish

The Spanish word forshoesis zapatosA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1
NounA1
general term for footwear
A pair of bright red lace-up tennis shoes resting side-by-side on a simple, light-colored surface.

Examples

Necesito comprar unos zapatos nuevos para la fiesta.

I need to buy some new shoes for the party.

Estos zapatos de cuero son muy elegantes.

These leather shoes are very elegant.

Por favor, quítate los zapatos antes de entrar.

Please, take off your shoes before coming in.

Always Masculine and Plural

Zapatos is the plural form of zapato (one shoe). Because it's a masculine word, you must use masculine words with it, like los, unos, and adjectives ending in -os. For example: los zapatos negros (the black shoes).

Singular vs. Plural

You use zapatos (plural) to talk about a pair of shoes. If you need to talk about just one shoe, you use the singular form: zapato. For example, 'Perdí un zapato' (I lost a shoe).

Mixing up Gender

Mistake:Me gustan las zapatos.

Correction: Me gustan los zapatos. Even though `zapatos` ends in '-os', remember it's a masculine noun, so it needs `los`, not `las`.

Using Singular for a Pair

Mistake:Compré un zapato nuevo.

Correction: Compré (unos) zapatos nuevos. Unless you really bought only one shoe, use the plural `zapatos` to talk about buying a new pair.

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