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balloon and Spanish balón
In English
balloon
an inflatable rubber toy
In Spanish
balón
pelota
Spanish "balón" means: ball
Why they get mixed up Spanish "balón" is the large ball used in sports. English "balloon" is the inflatable party or gas balloon. The words look alike, but the origin and the actual object are different.
If you want to say...
- balloonglobo
- ballbalón o pelota
- hot air balloonglobo aerostático
Examples
The kids played with balloons.
Los niños jugaron con globos.
A hot air balloon flew over us.
Un globo aerostático pasó sobre nosotros.
She blew up a red balloon for the party.
Ella infló un globo rojo para la fiesta.
The balloon popped with a loud bang.
El globo explotó con un fuerte estallido.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Los niños inflaron un balón rojo para la fiesta.
Correct: Los niños inflaron un globo rojo para la fiesta.
Balón is a ball, like a soccer ball. Balloon is globo.
Incorrect: Compré un balón de cumpleaños.
Correct: Compré un globo de cumpleaños.
Party balloons are globos.
Phrases you will hear
- a hot air balloonun globo aerostático
- blow up a ballooninflar un globo
- the balloon poppedel globo explotó
- a party balloonun globo de fiesta
- prices balloonedlos precios se dispararon
- a soccer ballun balón de fútbol
In a conversation
- A:
Can you blow up ten balloons for the party?
¿Puedes inflar diez globos para la fiesta?
- B:
Sure. Do you want a soccer ball too?
Claro. ¿Quieres también un balón de fútbol?
- A:
No, just balloons.
No, solo globos.
- B:
Okay. Look, one balloon popped already!
Vale. ¡Mira, un globo ya explotó!
Test yourself
"A red balloon" is...
To remember it
Balloon = the inflatable party toy. A sports ball (Spanish "balón") = ball.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "balón" mean?
Spanish "balón" means "ball". It looks like the English "balloon", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "balloon" means "an inflatable rubber toy".
Does English "balloon" mean the same as Spanish "balón"?
Spanish "balón" is the large ball used in sports. English "balloon" is the inflatable party or gas balloon. The words look alike, but the origin and the actual object are different.