In Spanish, “vela” is a feminine noun of Latin origin, which may be used to refer to the following:
A wake
A sail
The sport of sailing
A related Spanish action word/ verb is “velar” which may be used to refer to any of the following actions:
- To stay awake
- To keep a vigil;
- To have a wake;
- To guard someone/ something
- To cover something fully/ partially, that is
- To veil
- To mask
- To conceal
- To expose a film ruining its contents
Some
commonly used expressions with the word “vela”
are:
- A toda vela (in full sail/ at full canvas/ at full speed ahead);
- Alzar velas (to set sail);
- Apagar una vela (to blow out/ to put out a candle);
- Barco de vela (sailing boat/ ship);
- Buque de vela (sailing boat/ ship);
- En vela (awake/ sleepless)
- Encender una vela (to light a candle);
- Encender una vela a Dios y otra al diablo (to hedge one's bets);
- Estar a dos velas (to be broke);
- Hacerse a la vela (to set sail);
- Largar velas (to set sail);
- No darle a alguien vela en un entierro* (to remove someone's right to speak);
- Poner una vela (to light a candle);
- Poner una vela a Dios y otra al diablo (to hedge one's bets);
- Quedarse a dos velas (to become broke);
- Vela latina (latin sail);
- Velar por los intereses de alguien (to watch over somebody's interests);
- Viento en popa a toda vela (in full sail/ at full canvas/ at full speed ahead);
*NB
Used almost exclusively in the form of a question, for example ¿A
ti quien te ha dado vela en este entierro? Meaning:
who asked your opinion?/ shut up!
Some
examples of the use of the word "vela"
are:
- Anoche velamos a nuestro amigo y hoy lo enterramos (last night we had our friend's wake and today we bury him);
- En algunos paises la mujer tiene prohibido velar su rostro (in some countries women are not allowed to cover their faces with a veil);
- Al abrir la cámara hay que evitar que se vele el carrete (when opening the camera you have to avoid the spool getting exposed);
- El negocio va a toda vela (the business is going full speed ahead);
- Finalizados todos los preparativos el buque alzó velas (all preparations completed, the ship set sail);
- El viento me apagó la vela (the wind blew out my candle);
- En Egipto se empezaron a construir barcos de vela hace miles de años (sailing boats began to be built in Egypt thousands of years ago);
- Un buque de vela de cinco mástiles ( a five-masted sailing ship);
- He pasado toda la noche en vela (I have been awake all night);
- Si se va la luz enciende una vela (if the lights go out, light a candle);
- A ti te gusta encender una vela a Dios y otra al diablo, ¿verdad? (you like to hedge your bets, don't you?);
- Estamos a dos velas (we are broke);
- Colón se hizo a la vela en el Puerto de Palos de Moguer (Columbus set sail from el Puerto de Palos de Moguer);
- La expedición largó velas el día 5 de agosto de 1492 (the expedition set sail on August the 5th 1492);
- ¿A usted quien le ha dado vela en este entierro? (who asked your opinion?);
- Voy a poner una vela a Santa Rita (I am going to light a candle to St Rita);
- A ti te gusta poner una vela a Dios y otra al diablo, ¿verdad? (you like to hedge your bets, don't you?);
- Nos quedamos a dos velas (we ended up broke);
- La vela latina es una vela triangular (the Latin sail is a triangular shape sail);
- Tu abogado vela por tus intereses (your lawyer/ attorney looks after your interests);
- El negocio va viento en popa a toda vela (the business is going full speed ahead);
*NB
'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “vela” in the
link to hear the word pronounced.
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