Today’s Spanish word of the day is “puerta”.
It’s a feminine noun meaning “door”.
The word “puerta” can refer to any kind of door or gateway, including metaphorical ones. For example:
- Abre la puerta, por favor. – Open the door, please.
- Dejar una puerta abierta. – To leave a door open, often meaning to leave room for possibilities.
The word “puerta” comes from Latin porta, meaning “gate” or “entrance”. This is also the root of the English words “porter” (“gatekeeper”) and “portal”. It’s important not to confuse the word “puerta” (“door”) with “puerto” (“port”). Both words come from related Latin roots referring to passages, but they are different words and shouldn’t be used interchangeably.
Example sentences
¿Puedes cerrar la puerta? Hace mucho frío.
Can you close the door? It’s very cold.
La puerta del baño está atascada; no puedo abrirla.
The bathroom door is stuck; I can’t open it.
Dejé las llaves justo al lado de la puerta.
I left the keys right next to the door.
La puerta vieja chirriaba cada vez que alguien la abría.
The old door creaked every time someone opened it.
La puerta automática se activa con un sensor de movimiento.
The automatic door is activated by a motion sensor.
