Inklingo

How to Say "stone" in Spanish

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piedra

pee-AY-drah'pjeðɾa

nounA1general
Use 'piedra' for a general, small-to-medium-sized piece of rock or mineral found on the ground or used in construction.
A single, smooth, grey-brown river stone resting on a patch of dirt.

Examples

Compré una bonita piedra pulida en la tienda de regalos.

I bought a pretty polished stone at the gift shop.

Lanzó una pequeña piedra al río para hacer ondas.

She threw a small stone into the river to make ripples.

Esta pared está hecha de piedra antigua.

This wall is made of ancient rock.

El camino estaba lleno de piedras sueltas.

The road was full of loose stones.

Feminine Noun Rule

Remember that 'piedra' is always feminine, so you must use 'la' or 'una' before it, and any describing words (adjectives) must also end in '-a' (e.g., 'la piedra grande').

Confusing Size

Mistake: “Using 'piedra' for huge formations like a cliff or a large mountain.”

Correction: While 'piedra' means rock, for very large formations, 'roca' or 'peñasco' is usually more appropriate.

roca

ROH-kahˈroka

nounA1general
Use 'roca' when referring to a large, solid mass of stone, like what you might see in a cliff face or a mountain.
A large, smooth, gray boulder resting on a patch of green grass under a clear blue sky.

Examples

La casa estaba construida sobre una gran roca.

The house was built on a large rock.

El escalador se agarró a una roca para no caer.

The climber held onto a rock so he wouldn't fall.

Vimos muchas rocas grandes cerca del mar.

We saw many large rocks near the sea.

La geología es el estudio de las rocas y la tierra.

Geology is the study of rocks and the earth.

Feminine Noun Rule

Remember that 'roca' is always feminine, so you must use feminine articles and adjectives: 'la roca' (the rock), 'una roca grande' (a big rock).

cálculo

nounB2medical / mineral
Use 'cálculo' specifically for a mineral deposit that forms inside the body, such as a kidney stone or gallstone.

Examples

El médico le dijo que tenía un cálculo en la vesícula.

The doctor told him he had a stone in his gallbladder.

hueso

WAY-sohˈwe.so

nounA2general
Use 'hueso' for the hard pit or seed found inside certain fruits, like avocados, peaches, or olives.
A colorful illustration of a ripe peach sliced in half, clearly showing the large, round brown pit in the center.

Examples

No te comas el hueso del mango.

Don't eat the stone of the mango.

Ten cuidado de no morder el hueso del aguacate.

Be careful not to bite the avocado pit.

Tiré los huesos de las cerezas a la basura.

I threw the cherry pits in the trash.

General Rock vs. Body Stone

The most common confusion is using 'piedra' or 'roca' for medical conditions. Remember that 'cálculo' is the specific term for a stone formed within the body, while 'piedra' and 'roca' refer to pieces of the earth.

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