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How to Say "suits" in Spanish

English → Spanish

trajes

/TRAH-hes//ˈtɾaxes/

NounA1Formal
Use 'trajes' when referring to formal business or wedding attire, such as a man's matching jacket and trousers.
Three distinct, neatly tailored men's business suits—one navy, one gray, and one black—standing upright in a row, representing formal attire.

Examples

Necesito comprar dos trajes nuevos para la boda.

I need to buy two new suits for the wedding.

Los niños llevaban trajes de superhéroes en la fiesta.

The children were wearing superhero costumes at the party.

Todos sus trajes de buceo están guardados en el garaje.

All their diving suits are stored in the garage.

Plural Noun Rule

This word is the plural of the masculine noun 'traje' (suit/costume). Since 'traje' ends in a vowel, you just add '-s' to make it plural: traje → trajes.

Gender Confusion

Mistake: “Using 'las trajes'.”

Correction: Since 'traje' is a masculine noun, its plural must use the masculine article: 'los trajes'.

palos

/PAH-lohs//ˈpalos/

NounB2General
Use 'palos' to refer to the suits in a deck of playing cards (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades).
The four standard card suits—a red heart, a red diamond, a black club, and a black spade—arranged neatly side by side.

Examples

Necesitas tres cartas del mismo palo para ganar.

You need three cards of the same suit to win.

¿Qué palo es el triunfo en este juego?

Which suit is the trump in this game?

Singular vs. Plural

Mistake: “Using 'palos' when referring to a single suit.”

Correction: Use the singular 'palo' when referring to one type of suit (e.g., 'el palo de copas'). Use 'palos' when referring to the concept of suits generally (e.g., 'los cuatro palos').

cae

/kah-eh//ˈka.e/

VerbA2Informal
Use 'cae' (from the verb 'caer') when describing how well something or someone fits or is perceived, often translated as 'suits me' or 'gets along with'.
A friendly brown bear smiling and giving a clear thumbs up gesture to a small, happy blue bird perched on a log, signifying approval.

Examples

Tu amigo me cae muy bien. Es muy gracioso.

I really like your friend. He is very funny. (Literally: Your friend falls well to me.)

La idea no le cae a la jefa.

The boss doesn't like the idea (or: the idea doesn't sit well with the boss).

Ese color no te cae nada bien.

That color doesn't suit you at all.

The 'Gustar' Structure

When 'cae' means 'is liked,' it works like the verb 'gustar.' The person being liked is the grammatical subject (the 'who' doing the action), and the person doing the liking is the indirect object (using 'me, te, le, nos, les').

Using 'yo' instead of 'me'

Mistake: “Saying 'Yo caigo bien ella' (I fall well her) to mean 'I like her'.”

Correction: You must use the pronoun 'le' or 'a ella' for the person being liked: 'Ella me cae bien' (She falls well to me).

Clothing vs. Card Suits

The most common mistake is using 'trajes' for card suits or 'palos' for clothing. Remember, 'trajes' is for formal wear, and 'palos' specifically refers to the four suits in a deck of cards.

Related Translations

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