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Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "rib" in Spanish?
la costilla
In Spanish, "rib" is la costilla.
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Pronunciation
Let it flow as "la costilla" - double l sounds close to an English 'y'; stress falls naturally on the second-to-last syllable; "la" is only the tag meaning 'the'.
Grammar notes
la costilla is feminine. Its plural is costillas.
Example sentence
Se magulló una costilla al caer.
He bruised a rib when he fell.
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How to remember la costilla
Focus on the opening sound of "costilla" first, get comfortable with it, then let the rest of the word trail off naturally.
Related words
- skull el cráneo
- spine la columna vertebral
- skin la piel
- nail el clavo
- elbow el codo
- wrist la muñeca
- ankle el tobillo
- knee la rodilla
- shoulder el hombro
Browse all Spanish words in the glossary.
Questions about la costilla
How do you pronounce la costilla?
Let it flow as "la costilla" - double l sounds close to an English 'y'; stress falls naturally on the second-to-last syllable; "la" is only the tag meaning 'the'.
Is la costilla masculine or feminine?
la costilla is feminine. la costilla is feminine. Its plural is costillas.
How is la costilla used in Spanish?
la costilla is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: Se magulló una costilla al caer. (He bruised a rib when he fell.).
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"Rib" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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