tejado
Lemma Details
Translation: roof; rooftop; housetop
Part of Speech: noun
Etymology: Derived from the Spanish verb 'tejar' (to tile, to roof), which comes from 'teja' (tile), ultimately from Latin 'tegula' (roof tile). The Latin root 'teg-' is related to 'covering' and appears in English words like 'protect' (to cover in front) and 'detect' (to uncover). The '-ado' suffix indicates a completed action or the result of an action, so 'tejado' literally means 'that which has been tiled'.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 30%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El gato está sentado en el tejado.
The cat is sitting on the roof.
Necesitamos reparar el tejado antes de que empiece a llover.
We need to repair the roof before it starts raining.
Desde el tejado se puede ver toda la ciudad.
From the rooftop you can see the entire city.
Las tejas del tejado son de color rojo.
The tiles on the roof are red.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'tejado' as related to 'teja' (tile) - it's the tiled covering of a house.
- The 'tej-' sound is like 'protecting' something - a roof protects you from the elements.
- Visualize red Spanish roof tiles when you hear 'tejado'.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish architecture, especially in Mediterranean regions, traditional tejados are often made of terracotta tiles, creating the distinctive reddish roofscape visible in many Spanish towns and cities. The design of tejados varies by region, with some areas featuring flat roofs and others having sloped designs to deal with rainfall or snow.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'tejado' specifically refers to the exterior roof structure of a building, 'techo' can refer to both the roof and the interior ceiling. 'Techo' is more general and can be used for any covering overhead, including ceilings inside a room.
Confused word:
El techo de la habitación está pintado de blanco.
The ceiling of the room is painted white.
Notes: In some contexts, especially when referring to the exterior of buildings, the terms may be used interchangeably, but 'tejado' is more specific to the exterior roofing structure.
Mnemonic: Remember: 'tejado' has 'teja' (tile) in it, so it's the tiled exterior roof, while 'techo' is any overhead covering.
Explanation: 'Tejado' (roof) sounds similar to 'tejido' (fabric, tissue), but they have completely different meanings. 'Tejido' comes from 'tejer' (to weave).
Notes: Both words share a distant etymological connection to covering or protecting, but in modern Spanish they belong to completely different semantic fields.
Mnemonic: 'Tejado' ends with '-ado' (like something completed) while 'tejido' ends with '-ido' (like something woven).