Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Knee in Spanish: Rodilla
Rodilla · noun · roh-DEE-yah
Rodilla is the Spanish word for knee, the joint connecting the thigh and lower leg.
roh-DEE-yah
Me lastimé la rodilla jugando fútbol.
I hurt my knee playing soccer.
How Native Speakers Use Rodilla
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Sports injury
El jugador se lesionó la rodilla derecha.
The player injured his right knee.
Reporting an athletic injury.
Medical exam
El doctor examinó mi rodilla inflamada.
The doctor examined my swollen knee.
Visiting a physician for knee pain.
Physical action
Se arrodilló sobre una rodilla para proponer matrimonio.
He knelt on one knee to propose.
Describing a romantic gesture.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Rodilla
Using possessive instead of article
Incorrect: Me duele mi rodilla.
Correct: Me duele la rodilla.
In Spanish, body parts use the definite article (la) with reflexive or indirect object pronouns rather than possessive adjectives.
Mispronouncing the double l
Incorrect: Pronouncing rodilla as roh-DIL-ah
Correct: Pronouncing rodilla as roh-DEE-yah
The double ll in Spanish produces a 'y' sound in most dialects, so rodilla is roh-DEE-yah, not roh-DIL-ah.
Lock in Knee 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 Rodilla used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using rodilla in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Me lastimé la rodilla jugando fútbol. 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 Knee in Spanish
- How do you say 'knee' in Spanish?
- The word is rodilla, and the plural knees is rodillas — it is one of the most commonly referenced body parts in medical and sports vocabulary.
- How do you say 'kneecap' in Spanish?
- The kneecap is called rótula, which is the small bone that covers and protects the front of the knee joint.
- What does arrodillarse mean?
- Arrodillarse is the reflexive verb meaning to kneel, literally derived from rodilla — for example, se arrodilló means he or she knelt down.