Advertisement

Spanish word of the day: 'Mango'

The Local Spain
The Local Spain - [email protected]
Spanish word of the day: 'Mango'
Photo: nito103/Depositphotos"

While this word means the same fruit in Spanish and English, it also means something entirely different.

Advertisement

Mango also means a handle and is the first person singular of a colloquial verb “mangar” which means to steal. Let’s see some examples:

 

  • Los mangos son frutas muy dulces y sabrosas. 

               Mangos are very sweet and tasty fruits.

 

  • El mango de la olla es de plástico, así no te quemas al cogerlo. 

              The pot’s handle is made out of plastic, so you don’t burn yourself when you pick it up.

 

As a colloquial verb, mangar means to steal:

 

  • El chico ha mangado dinero a sus padres para comprarse un videojuego.

               The boy stole money from his parents to buy a videogame.

 

 The expression ‘coger la sarten por el mango’ means to be in control or to lead:

 

  • Alguien tiene que coger la sartén por el mango y liderar la situación

               Someone has to lead the situation.

 

Here is a song from Paulina Rubio with the word. Can you hear where it's mentioned? 


Pronunciation:

Mahng-goh

Check out our other word of the day posts

This word of the day has been contributed by LAE Madrid, the leading Spanish academy in Madrid. Accredited by the Insitituto Cervantes, it offers Spanish courses for all levels and also has Spanish classes for kids and families.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also