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soap and Spanish sopa
In English
soap
a bar or liquid used to wash
In Spanish
sopa
caldo
Spanish "sopa" means: soup
Why they get mixed up Spanish "sopa" is the hot broth-based dish with ingredients. English "soap" is what you use to wash yourself. The same letters in a different order change the object entirely, from the dining table to the bathroom.
If you want to say...
- soapjabón
- soupsopa
- soap operatelenovela
Examples
Wash your hands with soap and water.
Lávate las manos con jabón y agua.
This soap smells like lavender.
Este jabón huele a lavanda.
I bought a bar of soap for the bathroom.
Compré una barra de jabón para el baño.
A soap opera is a TV drama about daily life.
Una telenovela es un drama televisivo sobre la vida diaria.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Lávate las manos con sopa y agua.
Correct: Lávate las manos con jabón y agua.
Sopa is soup. Soap is jabón.
Incorrect: Me duché con sopa de lavanda.
Correct: Me duché con jabón de lavanda.
Use jabón for soap.
Phrases you will hear
- a bar of soapuna barra de jabón
- liquid soapjabón líquido
- hand soapjabón de manos
- a soap operauna telenovela
- soupsopa
- chicken soupsopa de pollo
In a conversation
- A:
Wash your hands with soap and water.
Lávate las manos con jabón y agua.
- B:
Where's the soap?
¿Dónde está el jabón?
- A:
Next to the sink. We're having chicken soup for dinner.
Junto al lavabo. Cenamos sopa de pollo.
- B:
Good. I hate soap operas anyway.
Bien. De todos modos odio las telenovelas.
Test yourself
You use this to wash your hands:
To remember it
Soap = what you wash with. The soup you eat is "soup" (pronounced "sup").
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "sopa" mean?
Spanish "sopa" means "soup". It looks like the English "soap", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "soap" means "a bar or liquid used to wash".
Does English "soap" mean the same as Spanish "sopa"?
Spanish "sopa" is the hot broth-based dish with ingredients. English "soap" is what you use to wash yourself. The same letters in a different order change the object entirely, from the dining table to the bathroom.