Rascacielos, paraguas, abrelatas. How Spanish builds creative words from verbs and nouns.
| Verb | + Noun | = Compound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| rasca (scratches) | cielos (skies) | rascacielos | skyscraper |
| para (stops) | aguas (waters) | paraguas | umbrella |
| abre (opens) | latas (cans) | abrelatas | can opener |
| lava (washes) | platos (dishes) | lavaplatos | dishwasher |
| limpia (cleans) | parabrisas (windshields) | limpiaparabrisas | windshield wiper |
| saca (takes out) | corchos (corks) | sacacorchos | corkscrew |
| salva (saves) | vidas (lives) | salvavidas | lifeguard / life jacket |
| rompe (breaks) | cabezas (heads) | rompecabezas | puzzle |
| guarda (keeps) | espaldas (backs) | guardaespaldas | bodyguard |
| porta (carries) | voces (voices) | portavoz | spokesperson |
el rascacielos → los rascacielos (same word!)
el paraguas → los paraguas
el abrelatas → los abrelatas
| Compound | Parts | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| telaraña | tela + araña | spiderweb |
| bocacalle | boca + calle | intersection |
| aguardiente | agua + ardiente | spirits / liquor |
| mediodía | medio + día | noon / midday |
| medianoche | media + noche | midnight |
| Compound | Parts | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| altavoz | alta + voz | loudspeaker |
| pelirrojo | pelo + rojo | redhead |
| maniobra | mano + obra | maneuver |
| buenaventura | buena + ventura | good fortune |
1. Skyscraper = _____.
2. Umbrella = _____.
3. Can opener = _____.
4. Plural of rascacielos = los _____.
5. Puzzle = _____.
6. Dishwasher = _____.
7. Bodyguard = _____.
8. Verb+noun compounds are always _____.
9. Noon = _____.
10. Corkscrew = _____.
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