granero
Lemma Details
Translation: barn; granary; storehouse
Part of Speech: noun
Etymology: From Latin 'granarium', derived from 'granum' meaning 'grain'. The English word 'granary' shares the same Latin root, making them cognates. The suffix '-ero' in Spanish often indicates a place where something is stored or a person who works with something, similar to how English uses '-ary' to form 'granary'.
Commonality: 40%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'grain' + '-ero' (place for) = 'place for grain'
- Sounds like 'granary' in English, which has the same meaning
Cultural Context
In rural Spain and Latin America, graneros are important agricultural structures. In northern Spain, particularly Galicia and Asturias, traditional elevated granaries called 'hórreos' are distinctive cultural landmarks and protected architectural elements.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'granero' means 'barn' or 'granary', 'granjero' means 'farmer'. They look and sound similar but have different meanings.
Notes: Both words are related to farming, but one refers to a building and the other to a person.
Mnemonic: 'Granero' ends with '-ero' (place) for storing grain; 'granjero' has '-ero' (person) who works on a 'granja' (farm).
Explanation: 'Granero' is a barn or granary, while 'granizo' means 'hail' (the weather phenomenon).
Confused word:
El granizo dañó los cultivos.
The hail damaged the crops.
Notes: Both start with 'gran-' but have completely different meanings and contexts.
Mnemonic: Think of 'granizo' as small grains falling from the sky, while 'granero' is where you store actual grains.