Friday, 15 November 2013

Cadena

Today's WOTD is: "cadena" = chain


In Spanish, “cadena” is a feminine noun of Latin origin commonly used to refer to a chain. The noun “cadena” is often used also to refer to:

  • A series or string of things/ events
  • A broadcasting TV/ radio channel
  • A sound reproduction system

A related Spanish action word/ verb is “encadenar”, which could be used with a range of meanings such as to chain, to link, to bind, to shackle or to string together.

A related Spanish describing word/ adjective is “encadenado”/ “encadenada”, which means chained, linked or bound.


Some expressions with the word “cadena” are:
  • Cadena alimentaria (food chain);
  • Cadena de frío (cold chain);
  • Cadena de hoteles (hotel chain);
  • Cadena de montaje (assembly line);
  • Cadena de montañas (mountain range);
  • Cadena de música (sound reproduction system);
  • Cadena de supermercados (supermarket chain);
  • Cadena musical (sound reproduction system);
  • Cadena perpetua (life imprisonment);
  • Jalar de la cadena (to pull the chain/ to flush the toilet);
  • Producción en cadena (mass production);
  • Reacción en cadena (chain reaction);
  • Tirar de la cadena (to pull the chain/ to flush the toilet);

Some examples of the use of the word "cadena" are:
  • Esa cadena que llevas es de oro, ¿no? (that chain you are wearing is a gold chain, isn't it?);
  • Este mes ha habido una cadena de robos en nuestro barrio (this month there has been a string of burglaries in our neighbourhood);
  • Los manifestantes formaron una cadena humana (protesters formed a human chain);
  • Ese programa lo echan por la segunda cadena (that program is shown on channel two);
  • Se descubrieron antiinflamatorios en carne de caballo destinada a la cadena alimentaria (anti inflamatories were discovered in horse meat in the food chain);
  • La leche entra en la cadena de frío justo depués del ordeñado (milk enters the cold chain immediately after milking);
  • Trabajas en una cadena de montaje, ¿verdad? (you work in an assembly line, don't you?);
  • La cordillera de los Andes es una cadena de montañas (the Andes is a mountain range);
  • Esa cadena de música es para tu habitación, ¿verdad? (that sound system is for your room, isn't it?);
  • Suelo hacer la compra en esa cadena de supermercados (I often do my shopping in that supermarket chain);
  • Condenado a cadena perpetua lleva en prisión diez años (given a life sentence, he has been in jail ten years);
  • Esa cadena musical es para tu habitación, ¿verdad? (that sound system is for your room, isn't it?);
  • La producción en cadena abarata los costes, ¿no? (mass production lowers costs, doesn't it?);
  • Yo no sé lo que es una reacción en cadena, ¿y tú? (I don't know what a chain reaction is, do you?);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "cadena" in the YouTube clip: Andres Cabas - La Cadena De Oro

For more on the word "cadena", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Cadena

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

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