noun

el pesebre

nativity scene

Es una representación en miniatura del lugar donde nació Jesús, que suele incluir figuras de María, José, el niño, animales y pastores, y se arma en Navidad.

Word: pesebre

Meaning in English:
The word "pesebre" in Spanish generally refers to a crib or manger, which is a trough or container where animals, especially livestock like horses or cattle, eat. It often has two primary meanings depending on the context:

  1. Literal meaning:
    A "pesebre" is the physical structure or container used to hold food for animals. It is typically found in farms, barns, or stables.

  2. Religious/Christmas meaning:
    A "pesebre" also refers to a Nativity scene — the display of figures representing the birth of Jesus Christ, usually portraying the infant Jesus in a manger, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, animals, and sometimes the Wise Men. This tradition is very common in Spanish-speaking countries around Christmas time.


Parts of the word:

  • The word "pesebre" is derived from Latin pensum or pensa, meaning "feeding trough."

Synonyms:

  • For the feeding trough meaning: comedero, abrevadero (though these can differ slightly depending on function).
  • For Nativity scene meaning: nacimiento, belén (commonly used in Spain and Latin America).

Antonyms:

  • Literal sense (feeding trough): There are no exact direct antonyms, but bebedero (water trough) can be contrasted since "pesebre" is for food.
  • For Nativity scene (pesebre as representation): There is no direct antonym, but you could say something like vacío (empty) if a manger is without figures.

Summary:
"Pesebre" can mean either the simple trough that feeds animals or the more symbolic and cultural Nativity scene used as a Christmas decoration. It is a common and important term in many Hispanic traditions.

Make “pesebre” part of your vocabulary.

Build your Spanish vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.

Examples

Los niños decoraron el pesebre con figuras de barro.noun

The children decorated the nativity scene with clay figures.

Keep exploring Spanish

Learn words from the content you love.

Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).