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bomber and Spanish bombero
In English
bomber
a bombing plane / someone who plants bombs
In Spanish
bombero
apaga incendios
Spanish "bombero" means: firefighter
Why they get mixed up Spanish "bombero" puts out fires. English "bomber" is someone who drops bombs, or the plane built for that purpose. These are opposite social roles. The word "bombero" actually comes from "bomba" in the sense of a water pump, not an explosive.
If you want to say...
- bomberbombardero
- firefighterbombero
- bomber jacketchamarra de aviador
Examples
The bomber flew over the city.
El bombardero sobrevoló la ciudad.
He wore a bomber jacket.
Llevaba una chamarra estilo bombardero.
A bomber plane flew over the base.
Un avión bombardero sobrevoló la base.
The suicide bomber was stopped by police.
La policía detuvo al terrorista suicida.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Mi padre es un bombero de aviones.
Correct: Mi padre es un piloto de bombardero.
Bombero means firefighter. A bomber (plane) is un bombardero.
Incorrect: El bombero atacó la ciudad.
Correct: El bombardero atacó la ciudad.
A firefighter does not attack anything.
Phrases you will hear
- a bomber jacketuna chamarra de aviador
- a bomber planeun avión bombardero
- a suicide bomberun atacante suicida
- a firefighterun bombero
- a bomber squadronun escuadrón de bombarderos
- a fire truckun camión de bomberos
In a conversation
- A:
My brother is a firefighter.
Mi hermano es bombero.
- B:
That's a brave job!
¡Qué trabajo tan valiente!
- A:
Yes. And he wears a bomber jacket on weekends.
Sí. Y los fines de semana usa una chamarra de aviador.
- B:
Funny. My grandfather flew a bomber plane.
Qué curioso. Mi abuelo pilotaba un avión bombardero.
Test yourself
"A bomber" is...
To remember it
Bomber = a bombing plane/bomb-planter. A firefighter (Spanish "bombero") = firefighter.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "bombero" mean?
Spanish "bombero" means "firefighter". It looks like the English "bomber", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "bomber" means "a bombing plane / someone who plants bombs".
Does English "bomber" mean the same as Spanish "bombero"?
Spanish "bombero" puts out fires. English "bomber" is someone who drops bombs, or the plane built for that purpose. These are opposite social roles. The word "bombero" actually comes from "bomba" in the sense of a water pump, not an explosive.