Keep your voice down when you talk about that matter.
La vaina es que mañana no hay autobuses.
The problem is that there are no buses tomorrow.
Trajo una vaina rara del mercado.
He brought a strange thing from the market.
¿Cómo se llama la vaina que abre las botellas?
What do you call the thingamajig that opens bottles?
El bartender espolvoreó canela sobre la vaina.
The bartender sprinkled cinnamon over the vaina cocktail.
Similar words
combinado
problema
vainica
cosa
cápsula
objeto
cubierta
envoltura
trago
cáscara
Meanings
Protective sheath or casing
noun
objects
neutral
A close-fitting cover that protects or surrounds something, especially the blade of a knife or sword, but also a cable, body structure, or similar long object.
Examples
Guardó el cuchillo en su vaina de cuero.
He put the knife in its leather sheath.
La espada salió de la vaina con facilidad.
The sword came out of the scabbard easily.
El cable lleva una vaina que lo protege de la humedad.
The cable has a sheath that protects it from moisture.
El informe describe la vaina que rodea el nervio.
The report describes the sheath surrounding the nerve.
Encontraron varias vainas de cartucho junto al camino.
They found several cartridge cases beside the road.
Similar words
funda
estuche
cubierta
envoltura
revestimiento
cápsula
Seed pod
noun
botany
neutral
The long outer part of a legume that holds its seeds, or a similar plant structure that wraps around a stem.
Examples
Cada vaina de guisante contenía seis semillas.
Each pea pod held six seeds.
Abrió la vaina y sacó las habas.
She opened the pod and removed the broad beans.
Las vainas secas crujían bajo el sol.
The dry pods crackled in the sun.
La vaina de la hoja abraza el tallo.
The leaf sheath wraps around the stem.
Cosecharon las vainas antes de que maduraran del todo.
They harvested the pods before they fully ripened.
Similar words
cáscara
envoltura
legumbre
fruto
vainica
Unnamed thing
noun
everyday
informal
In Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and parts of the Caribbean, any object, matter, or event whose exact name is unknown, forgotten, or unimportant.
Examples
Pásame esa vaina que está junto al teléfono.
Pass me that thing next to the phone.
¿Cómo se llama la vaina que abre las botellas?
What do you call the thingamajig that opens bottles?
Trajo una vaina rara del mercado.
He brought a strange thing from the market.
No entiendo bien esa vaina de la aplicación nueva.
I do not really understand that thing about the new app.
Baja la voz cuando hables de esa vaina.
Keep your voice down when you talk about that matter.
In much of northern South America and the Caribbean, something troublesome, annoying, disappointing, or hard to deal with, often carrying mild frustration rather than a strong insult.
Examples
¡Qué vaina que cancelaran el concierto!
What a pain that they cancelled the concert!
Perder los documentos fue una vaina terrible.
Losing the documents was a terrible mess.
La vaina es que mañana no hay autobuses.
The problem is that there are no buses tomorrow.
Se metió en una vaina difícil de resolver.
She got into a difficult situation to sort out.
No digas vaina en la entrevista si buscas un tono formal.
Do not say vaina in the interview if you want a formal tone.
Similar words
problema
lío
fastidio
molestia
rollo
mierda
Chilean cocktail
noun
drinks
neutral
In Chile, a sweet cocktail made with fortified wine or another spirit, crème de cacao, egg yolk, and usually cinnamon.
Examples
Pidieron una vaina después de la cena.
They ordered a vaina cocktail after dinner.
La vaina chilena suele llevar yema de huevo.
The Chilean vaina cocktail usually contains egg yolk.
Sirvió la vaina en una copa pequeña.
She served the cocktail in a small glass.
El bartender espolvoreó canela sobre la vaina.
The bartender sprinkled cinnamon over the vaina cocktail.
En ese bar preparan la vaina con pisco.
At that bar they make the vaina cocktail with pisco.
Similar words
cóctel
trago
combinado
Etymology
Inherited from Latin vagina, meaning a sheath or case. Spanish vagina is a later learned doublet from the same Latin word.
FAQ
What does vaina mean in Spanish?
It literally names a sheath, casing, or seed pod, and in several American varieties it informally means a thing, matter, or problem.
What does vaina mean in Colombia and Venezuela?
It is a very flexible informal word for a cosa, an unnamed object or matter, and it can also suggest a nuisance or difficult situation.
Is vaina rude?
Usually it is informal rather than obscene, but it can sound dismissive or mildly annoyed. More formal settings favour cosa, asunto, or problema.
Is vaina masculine or feminine?
It is feminine, so the usual forms are la vaina and las vainas.
What is the plural of vaina?
The regular plural is vainas.
How is vaina pronounced?
It is pronounced /ˈbaina/, with the stress on the first syllable.
Where does vaina come from?
It comes from Latin vagina, which meant a sheath or case.
What is a Chilean vaina?
It is a sweet cocktail commonly made with fortified wine or a spirit, crème de cacao, egg yolk, and cinnamon.
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