Love-Spanish.com: Rueda

Today's WOTD is: "rueda" = wheel

In Spanish, the noun "rueda" is a feminine noun of Latin origin, the main meaning of which is wheel. The noun “rueda” or its related noun “rodaja” may also be used in Spanish to refer to a slice of something.

The diminutives “rueditas”/ “ruedecitas” are used in Spanish to refer to caster wheels or other types of small wheels.

Some commonly used expressions containing the words "rueda" are:

Chupar rueda (to tuck in behind other riders in cycling races -colloquially, to profit from others' effort);
Comulgar con ruedas de molino* (to be gullible);
Jugar a la rueda (to play ring-a-ring-aroses/ ring-around-a-rosy);
Patinar sobre ruedas (to roller-skate);
Rueda delantera (front wheel);
Rueda trasera (rear wheel);
Rueda de auxillio (spare wheel -in some parts of Latin America);
Rueda de identificación (identification or identity parade/ line-up);
Rueda de la fortuna (wheel of fortune);
Rueda de molino (millstone);
Rueda dentada (gear wheel/ cogwheel);
Rueda de prensa (press conference);
Rueda de presos (identification or identity parade/ line-up);
Rueda de recambio (spare wheel);
Rueda de repuesto (spare wheel);
Rueda de reconocimiento (identification or identity parade/ line-up);
Rueda de sospechosos (identification or identity parade/ line-up);
Rueda gigante (Ferris wheel/ big wheel);
Rueda hidráulica (waterwheel);
Rueda informativa (press conference);
Rueda motriz (driving wheel);
Rueda pinchada (flat tyre/ puncture);
Sobre ruedas (on wheels);

*NB More often than not used in its negative form: “No comulgar con ruedas de molino”

Some examples of the use of the word "rueda" are:

Rodajas de merluza con patatas fritas (hake steaks with chips/ French fries);
Una rueda de piña (a pineapple slice);
Chupando rueda y conservó energía hasta que decidió atacar (tucking in behind others he remained fresh until he decided to atack);
No me vais a hacer comulgar con ruedas de molino (you are not going to make me fall for that);
Me gusta patinar sobre ruedas (I like roller-skating);
¿Jugamos a la rueda? (shall we play ring-a-ring-aroses/ ring-around-a-rosy?);
Tenemos que cambiar una rueda (we have to change a wheel);
Las ruedas motrices son las (ruedas) delateras (the driving wheels are the front wheels);
Las ruedas motrices son las (ruedas) traseras (the driving wheels are the rear wheels);
Pinchamos pero no tenemos rueda de auxilio (we have a puncture but we don't have a spare wheel);
Pinchamos pero no tenemos rueda de recambio (we have a puncture but we don't have a spare wheel);
Pinchamos pero no tenemos rueda de repuesto (we have a puncture but we don't have a spare wheel);
Ese tipo fue identificado en la rueda de identificación (that guy was picked out in the identification or identity parade/ line-up);
Ese tipo fue identificado en la rueda de presos (that guy was picked out in the identification or identity parade/ line-up);
Ese tipo fue identificado en la rueda de reconicimiento (that guy was picked out in the identification or identity parade/ line-up);
Ese tipo fue identificado en la rueda de sospechosos (that guy was picked out in the identification or identity parade/ line-up);
La rueda de la fortuna era un programa de televisión (the wheel of fortune was a TV programme);
Un engranaje de ruedas dentadas (a meshing mechanism of gears/ cogwheels);
La rueda gigante es una de las atracciones de la feria (the Ferris wheel/ big wheel is one of the fair attractions);
En la rueda de prensa el ministro se declaró satisfecho (at the press conference the minister declared himself satisfied);
En la rueda de informativa el ministro se declaró satisfecho (at the press conference the minister declared himself satisfied);
En la presa el rio mueve una rueda hidráulica (at the weir the river drives a waterwheel);
Tenemos una rueda pinchada (we have a flat tyre);
Todo anda sobre ruedas (all is going/ running smoothly);
Todo corre sobre ruedas (all is going/ running smoothly);
Todo marcha sobre ruedas (all is going/ running smoothly)
Todo va sobre ruedas (all is going/ running smoothly);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "rueda" in the YouTube clip: La rueda de prensa más tensa de Mourinho tras elReal Madrid FC Barcelona en el Santiago Bernabéu

For more on the word "rueda", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Rueda

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “rueda” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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