Tool Names in Spanish

If you’ve ever stood in a ferretería, pointed vaguely at a shelf, and said something like “the thingy for the thing,” congratulations: you have met the universal language of panic. Spanish speakers do it too, but the goal here is better than chaos. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to name common tools, ask for them, and understand the words people actually use in workshops, home repair, and hardware stores.

This is standard Latin American Spanish by default, with notes when Spain Spanish differs. Some tools have more than one common name, because language enjoys being mildly annoying on purpose.

You’ll learn practical tool vocabulary, useful phrases, pronunciation help, and a few “don’t embarrass yourself” notes for real-life shopping and repairs.

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

Table of Contents

Common Tool Names You’ll Hear Everywhere

Here are the basics first. These are the tools that show up in homes, workshops, garages, and any conversation about fixing stuff that suddenly becomes a whole afternoon.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
la herramienta	eh-rra-MYEN-tah	tool	Necesito una herramienta para arreglar esto.	I need a tool to fix this.	General word for “tool.” Herramienta is feminine.
el martillo	mar-TEE-yoh	hammer	¿Tienes un martillo?	Do you have a hammer?	The ll sounds like a soft “y” in most Latin American Spanish.
el destornillador	des-tor-nee-yah-DOR	screwdriver	Busca un destornillador plano.	Look for a flathead screwdriver.	Long word, useful word. Worth learning.
la llave	YAH-veh	wrench; key	La llave está en la caja de herramientas.	The wrench is in the toolbox.	Llave can mean “key” too. Context saves the day.
la llave inglesa	YAH-veh een-GLAY-sah	adjustable wrench	Busca una llave inglesa más grande.	Look for a bigger adjustable wrench.	Literal meaning: “English key.” Yes, really.
el alicate	ah-lee-KAH-teh	pliers	Agárralo con un alicate.	Grab it with pliers.	Plural alicates is also common in many places.
la pinza	PEEN-sah	pliers; clamp	Necesito una pinza para sujetarlo.	I need a clamp to hold it.	Can mean a clamp or pliers depending on context.
el taladro	tah-LAH-droh	drill	El taladro hace mucho ruido.	The drill makes a lot of noise.	Common in home repair and construction.
la sierra	SYEH-rrah	saw	Necesitamos una sierra para cortar madera.	We need a saw to cut wood.	The double rr is a strong rolled r.
el cincel	seen-SEL	chisel	Usa el cincel con cuidado.	Use the chisel carefully.	Often seen in carpentry and stone work.

A quick pronunciation note: Spanish vowels are clean and stable. a, e, i, o, u do not do surprise tricks like English vowels do. Very rude of English, honestly.

More Useful Workshop Words

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
el clavo	KLAH-voh	nail	Necesito un clavo más largo.	I need a longer nail.	Masculine noun.
el tornillo	tor-NEE-yoh	screw	Falta un tornillo aquí.	A screw is missing here.	Common in repair vocabulary.
la tuerca	TWER-kah	nut	Aprieta la tuerca un poco más.	Tighten the nut a little more.	Pairs naturally with tornillo and llave.
el perno	PAIR-noh	bolt; pin	El perno está flojo.	The bolt is loose.	Common in mechanics and construction.
la cinta métrica	SEEN-tah MEH-tree-kah	measuring tape	Trae la cinta métrica, por favor.	Bring the measuring tape, please.	Very useful around the house.
el nivel	nee-VEL	level	El estante no está nivelado.	The shelf isn’t level.	Useful for furniture and wall work.
el clavo de olor	KLAH-voh deh oh-LOR	clove	No confundas el clavo de olor con el clavo.	Don’t confuse the clove with the nail.	Great example of a false-friend-style confusion inside Spanish itself.
el sacabocados	sah-kah-boh-KAH-dos	hole punch / punch tool	Usa el sacabocados para hacer un agujero.	Use the hole punch to make a hole.	Less common, but handy in leatherwork.
la lija	LEE-hah	sandpaper	Primero pasa la lija.	First, use the sandpaper.	Also used as a verb phrase: lijar = to sand.
la broca	BROH-kah	drill bit	Cambia la broca por una más fina.	Change the drill bit for a thinner one.	Very common in hardware stores.

Hand Tools, Power Tools, And Workshop Gear

Once you go beyond the basics, you’ll start hearing words for categories of tools, not just single items. That’s useful because sometimes the exact tool name is not enough; you need the general type.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
herramienta manual	eh-rra-MYEN-tah mah-NOO-ahl	hand tool	Prefiero una herramienta manual para este trabajo.	I prefer a hand tool for this job.	Opposite of a powered tool.
herramienta eléctrica	eh-rra-MYEN-tah eh-LEK-tree-kah	power tool	La herramienta eléctrica está descargada.	The power tool is out of charge.	Can refer to cordless tools too.
el serrucho	seh-ROO-choh	hand saw	Voy a cortar la tabla con un serrucho.	I’m going to cut the board with a hand saw.	Not every saw is a sierra; this one is more specific.
la pistola de pegamento	pees-TOH-lah deh peh-gah-MEN-toh	glue gun	La pistola de pegamento está caliente.	The glue gun is hot.	Useful in crafts and repairs.
la lijadora	lee-hah-DOH-rah	sander	La lijadora deja la superficie suave.	The sander leaves the surface smooth.	From lijar.
la amoladora	ah-moh-lah-DOH-rah	grinder	La amoladora hace chispas.	The grinder makes sparks.	Common in workshops and construction.
la soldadora	sol-dah-DOH-rah	welding machine	Necesitan una soldadora para este trabajo.	They need a welding machine for this job.	Useful for industrial settings.
el taladro percutor	tah-LAH-droh pair-KOO-tor	hammer drill	Para pared dura, usa el taladro percutor.	For hard walls, use the hammer drill.	Very handy for drilling into concrete.
el compresor	kom-preh-SOR	compressor	El compresor está encendido.	The compressor is on.	Common in garages and mechanical shops.
la manguera	man-GWEH-rah	hose	La manguera está doblada.	The hose is bent.	Also used for water hoses.

Some tool names change by region. For example, pinza and alicate can overlap, and llave inglesa may be called a llave ajustable in some places. Both are fine. Spanish likes options. It keeps learners humble.

Workshop Phrases You’ll Actually Use

These phrases help when you’re asking for a tool, describing a problem, or trying to stop someone from making the problem worse.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
¿Dónde está…?	DON-deh ehs-TAH	Where is…?	¿Dónde está el martillo?	Where is the hammer?	Probably the most useful question in the room.
Necesito…	neh-seh-SEE-toh	I need…	Necesito un destornillador.	I need a screwdriver.	Neutral and very common.
¿Me prestas…?	meh PREHS-tahs	Can you lend me…?	¿Me prestas tu cinta métrica?	Can you lend me your measuring tape?	Friendly, casual.
¿Tiene una…?	TYEH-neh OO-nah	Do you have a…? / Do you have one?	¿Tiene una llave inglesa?	Do you have an adjustable wrench?	More polite, especially in stores.
¿Cuánto cuesta?	KWAN-toh KWEHS-tah	How much does it cost?	¿Cuánto cuesta esta broca?	How much does this drill bit cost?	Good for shopping at hardware stores.
Se rompió.	seh rom-PYOH	It broke.	Se rompió la tuerca.	The nut broke.	Common with repairs. The object is often clear from context.
Está flojo/a.	ehs-TAH FLOH-hoh / FLOH-hah	It’s loose.	El tornillo está flojo.	The screw is loose.	Watch agreement: flojo for masculine nouns, floja for feminine nouns.
Está apretado/a.	ehs-TAH ah-preh-TAH-doh / dah	It’s tight	La tuerca está muy apretada.	The nut is very tight.	Useful opposite of flojo.
Hay que arreglarlo.	eye keh ah-rreh-GLAR-loh	It needs fixing.	Hay que arreglar la puerta.	The door needs fixing.	Very handy impersonal phrase.
Con cuidado.	kon kwee-DAH-doh	Carefully	Corta con cuidado.	Cut carefully.	Short, direct, and common.

Mini note: in Spanish, you often say “Hace falta” or “Hay que” when something needs doing. For example, “Hace falta un destornillador” means “A screwdriver is needed.” No dramatic hand gestures required, though those are still allowed.

Parts Of A Tool And Repair Words

If you want to follow instructions or describe a broken item, these words are gold. Also very useful when someone says, “It’s just a small repair,” which is usually a lie.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
la pieza	PYEH-sah	piece; part	Falta una pieza de la máquina.	A part is missing from the machine.	Very common in repair talk.
la manija	mah-NEE-hah	handle	La manija está suelta.	The handle is loose.	In some countries, asa or mango may also appear.
el mango	MAN-goh	handle; grip	El mango del martillo es de madera.	The hammer handle is made of wood.	Very common for tool handles.
la punta	POON-tah	tip; point	La punta de la broca está gastada.	The tip of the drill bit is worn out.	Great for talking about worn tools.
el filo	FEE-loh	edge; sharpness	El cuchillo perdió el filo.	The knife lost its sharp edge.	Often used for blades and cutting tools.
la hoja	OH-hah	blade; sheet	La hoja de la sierra está dañada.	The saw blade is damaged.	H is silent. Do not pronounce it.
el tornillo de banco	tor-NEE-yoh deh BAHN-koh	vise	Fija la pieza en el tornillo de banco.	Secure the piece in the vise.	Very useful in workshops.
la mordaza	mor-DAH-sah	jaw; clamp jaw	La mordaza sostiene la pieza.	The clamp jaw holds the piece.	Common in mechanical and technical contexts.
el enchufe	en-CHOO-feh	plug; socket	El taladro no entra en el enchufe.	The drill doesn’t fit into the outlet.	Can mean plug or outlet depending on context.
el cable	KAH-beh-leh	cable; cord	El cable está enrollado.	The cord is coiled up.	Also common for extension cords and machine cables.

Useful Verbs For Using Tools

Tool vocabulary gets much easier when you pair it with action verbs. Here are the ones you’ll hear all the time.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
usar	oo-SAR	to use	¿Sabes usar este taladro?	Do you know how to use this drill?	Simple and common.
agarrar	ah-gah-RRAR	to grab; hold	Agárralo bien antes de cortar.	Hold it well before cutting.	The double rr is strong and rolled.
apretar	ah-preh-TAR	to tighten; squeeze	Aprieta ese tornillo.	Tighten that screw.	Very common with nuts and screws.
aflojar	ah-floh-HAR	to loosen	Afloja la tuerca primero.	Loosen the nut first.	Opposite of apretar.
cortar	kor-TAR	to cut	Voy a cortar la madera.	I’m going to cut the wood.	One of the most useful workshop verbs.