Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Embroidery in Spanish: Bordado
Bordado · noun · bohr-DAH-doh
Bordado is the Spanish word for embroidery, referring to both the craft and the finished product. The verb bordar means to embroider. Embroidery holds deep cultural significance across Latin America, from Mexican Tenango designs to Guatemalan huipiles decorated with intricate hand-stitched patterns.
Say bohr-DAH-doh, with the stress on the second syllable. The d between vowels is soft, almost like the English th in the.
El bordado de esta blusa es muy detallado.
The embroidery on this blouse is very detailed.
Embroidery in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for embroidery, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| bordado | embroidery | bohr-DAH-doh | Default, widely understood |
| bordar | embroidery | verb form: to embroider |
How Native Speakers Use Bordado
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Admiring handmade embroidery
Mi abuela me enseñó a hacer bordado a mano.
My grandmother taught me to do embroidery by hand.
Bordado a mano specifies hand embroidery, as opposed to machine embroidery.
Shopping for embroidered items
Compré un mantel con bordado oaxaqueño en el mercado.
I bought a tablecloth with Oaxacan embroidery at the market.
Regional embroidery styles are often identified by their place of origin in Mexico.
Using the verb form
Ella borda flores en las servilletas todos los domingos.
She embroiders flowers on napkins every Sunday.
Bordar is a regular -ar verb and is straightforward to conjugate.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Bordado
Confusing bordado with borde
Incorrect: Me gusta el borde de esta camisa.
Correct: Me gusta el bordado de esta camisa.
Borde means edge or rim, not embroidery. Confusing the two changes the meaning entirely, from admiring needlework to commenting on a shirt's hem.
Using embroidería as a loan word
Incorrect: Ella hace embroidería.
Correct: Ella hace bordado.
Embroidería does not exist in Spanish. The correct term is bordado for the craft and bordar for the action.
Lock in Embroidery Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Bordado used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using bordado in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear El bordado de esta blusa es muy detallado. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Embroidery in Spanish
- How do you say embroidery in Spanish?
- Embroidery in Spanish is bordado. The word refers to both the technique and the finished embroidered piece. To say to embroider, use the verb bordar.
- What types of embroidery are famous in the Spanish-speaking world?
- Mexico alone has dozens of regional embroidery traditions, including Tenango from Hidalgo, Oaxacan cross-stitch, and the colorful bordado of Chiapas. Guatemala, Peru, and Panama also have rich textile traditions featuring hand embroidery.
- Is bordado masculine or feminine?
- Bordado is a masculine noun, so you would say el bordado. When used as an adjective to describe something embroidered, it agrees with the noun: una camisa bordada (an embroidered shirt), un pañuelo bordado (an embroidered handkerchief).