Inklingo

How to Say "shovel" in Spanish

The Spanish word forshovelis palaA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1
nounA1
tool for digging or moving dirt
A metal shovel with a wooden handle stuck into a small pile of brown soil.

Examples

Usé la pala para cavar un hoyo en el jardín.

I used the shovel to dig a hole in the garden.

Necesitamos una pala para quitar la nieve de la entrada.

We need a shovel to clear the snow from the driveway.

Gender and Articles

Since this word ends in 'a' and is feminine, always use 'la' or 'una'. For more than one, use 'las' or 'unas'.

Pala vs. Paleta

Mistake:Using 'pala' for a small hand-held gardening trowel.

Correction: Use 'paleta' for small hand tools and 'pala' for the large tool you use with two hands.

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