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December 22, 2021 by Javier Grazioso Spanish Vocabulary 0 comments

Ceramic and Pottery Terms in Spanish: A-Z Vocabulary Guide

How do you say “pottery” in Spanish? 

La alfarería, pronounced “al-fa-reh-ree-ah” (with an emphasis on “ree”), not only means “pottery” but also “pottery shop.” 

Pottery is one of mankind’s most noble arts. You can find pottery in six out of the seven continents in the world, proving it was integral to most world cultures for a long time.

Interestingly, it was the Mesopotamians who invented la rueda del alfarero (the potter’s wheel) between 6,000 and 4,000 BCE. It served to make vases, dishes, jugs, and maybe even sculptures.

In this post, you’ll learn all the necessary Spanish vocabulary as it relates to pottery, including materials, techniques, and applications.

FUN FACT: The word alfarería is one of the more than 1,000 Spanish words that originated from Arabic!

Pottery in Spanish: Moldear Conjugation

While the easiest and best verb to use when making pottery is the irregular verb hacer (to do or to make), another option is moldear (to mold).

Check out this Easy Guide To Spanish Irregular Verb Conjugation.

Example Sentences

Mi hermano moldea las piezas muy bien.
My brother molds the pieces very well.

Yo no moldée eso.
I did not mold that.

Chicos, vosotros moldearéis el barro durante 30 minutos.
Guys, you are going to mold the clay for 30 minutes.

Ceramics in Spanish

Practice Sentences II

De pequeños moldeabamos barro que encontrabamos en el suelo.
When we were kids we molded clay that we used to find on the ground.

¿Moldearías esto por mí?
Would you mold this for me?

Nunca he moldeado arcilla antes.
I have never molded clay before.

Ellos no habían moldeado nada ese día.
They hadn’t molded anything that day.

FUN FACT: The words barro and arcilla are synonyms and both mean pottery clay in Spanish.

The Difference Between Cerámica and Alfarería

“Pottery” in Spanish translates into two terms that many native Spanish speakers consider interchangeable—but for true pottery enthusiasts, they are not. 

The word alfarería comes from Arabic and Hebrew, meaning “earth” or “clay,” while cerámica comes from Greek, meaning “made out of clay.” 

Pottery in Spanish: Terms A-D

Pottery, as any other art, has its own vocabulary, and it has many words that any pottery enthusiast should learn. Here are a few terms of pottery in Spanish for you to learn. Check them out!

EnglishSpanish
additiveel aditivo
alumniala alumnia
armaturela armadura
bisqueel bizcocho
bisque firingel bizcochado
castingenyesar
centeringcentrar
ceramicsla cerámica
clayel barro, la arcilla
claybodyla mezcla de arcillas
coilingenrollar
coneel cono
decalel diseño

Example Sentences 

No he terminado de enyesar.
I have not finished casting.

El enrollado está listo.
The coiling is ready.

El diseño sobre arcilla está hermoso.
The decal on the clay is beautiful.

Ceramics

Pottery in Spanish: Terms E-K

EnglishSpanish
earthenwarelas lozas de barro
engobeel engobe, el esmalte por inmersión
eutecticeutéctico
feldsparel feldespato
feldspathicfeldespático(a)
firingla cocción
fluxel flujo
fritla frita
glazeel envidriado
glaze firingla cocción de envidriado
greenwarela cerámica sin cocer
handbuildingla construcción a mano
kilnel horno

Example Sentences 

¿Ya encendiste el horno?
Have you turned on the kiln yet?

¿En dónde está la frita?
Where is the frit?

No podemos usar el feldespato con esta pieza.
We cannot use the feldspar with this piece.

pottery in Spanish

Pottery in Spanish: Terms P-W

EnglishSpanish
plasticel plástico
porcelainla porcelana
potteryla alfarería
press moldel molde
primitive firingla cocción primitiva
pyrometric coneel cono pirométrico
rakuel raku
recycled clayla arcilla reciclada
shrinkageel encogimiento
stampel sello
terracotala terracota
viscosityla viscosidad
vitreousvidrioso
waxla cera
wheelel torno de alfarero, la rueda de alfarero

Example Sentences 

La porcelana es una de las cosas más bellas en la alfarería.
Porcelain is one of the most beautiful things in pottery.

Esa pieza necesita una cocción primitiva, no muy alta.
That piece needs a primitive firing, not a high one.

El sello que le pondremos le dará el toque final.
The stamp that we are going to put on it will give it the final touch.

pottery in Spanish

Pottery Museums in Latin America

The pre-Columbian civilizations that lived in Latin America were no strangers to pottery. Their ancestors, historians and archaeologists have found several of their creations, and thankfully, have put them together in museums to showcase them, and for people to see them.

This next list tells you the name of one museum in one Latin American country that showcases pieces of pottery or ceramics.

CountryMuseum’s name
ArgentinaEl museo de cerámica indígena argentina
BoliviaLos museos Tiwanaku
ChileEl museo chileno de arte precolombino
ColombiaEl museo de la cerámica
Costa RicaEl museo nacional de Costa Rica
CubaEl museo nacional de la cerámica contemporánea en Cuba
Dominican RepublicEl museo de la cerámica contemporánea
EcuadorEl museo casa del Alabado
GuatemalaEl museo nacional de arqueología y etnología de Guatemala
MexicoEl museo nacional de la cerámica Jorge Wilmot
ParaguayEl museo del barro
PeruEl museo nacional de arqueología, antropología e historia del Perú
UruguayEl museo del azulejo

Make Some Pottery in Spanish

Potters are true artists and they are capable of crafting beautiful pieces. According to Forbes, one of the coolest Latin American cities that offers phenomenal pottery is Puebla, in Mexico. In South America, pottery is important in Perú, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Chile. The Mayan in Guatemala did not fall short on this matter either.

Pottery and Spanish are deeply connected and coexist beautifully in Latin America among its different cultures. Before you embark on a pottery trip to Latin America, be sure to learn some Spanish! 

Sign up for a free Spanish class today and start shortening the gap between you and 521 million Spanish speakers around the world—53 million of which live in the United States. Speaking Spanish will not only get you a better salary but will also boost your cognition and decision-making abilities!

More than 24,000 active students monthly keep on choosing Homeschool Spanish Academy for our flexible scheduling, our one on one classes, our earned high school credits, and our different payment plans! Keep on learning about pottery and start learning Spanish today!

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Javier Grazioso
Javier Grazioso
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
Italo-Guatemalan, born and raised in Guatemala City, where I got a B.A. in Communication and Journalism. Currently, I'm living in Spain where I'm studying for a master's degree. I'm a language and travel enthusiast who speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and a bit of Hungarian. I love watching sports, practicing boxing, writing, and gaming.
Javier Grazioso
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