Car and Driving Glossary

Posted on June 11, 2007
Filed Under Vocabulary | 11 Comments

I had been planning to write about the requirements for driving and for obtaining a driver’s license in Uruguay. In the process of doing that research, I realized that it would be useful to have a glossary of the most common terms related to cars, driving and traffic.

With that in mind, I searched through a number of Uruguayan sites and collected terms I thought might be relevant. It turns out that most of these are common to many Spanish speaking countries, but others are specific to Uruguay and Argentina. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but I will augment it over time as I come across other related words.

Feel free to write in to call my attention to important words that may be missing in this list. If you are Uruguayan, please correct me if I got something wrong.

Acera – Sidewalk
Adelantar – Overtake
Aminorar la marcha – Down shift
Aminorar la velocidad – Slow down
Asiento delantero – Front seat
Asiento trasero – Back seat
Balizas intermitentes – Flashers, hazard lights
Banda de rodadura – Tire tread
Banquina – Shoulder of a road
Baúl – Trunk
Bocacalles – Intersection
Bocina – Horn
Botiquín de primeros auxilios – First aid kit
Butacas – Bucket seats
Calle flechada – One way street
Calzada – The paved part of a street or road
Cámara – Inner tube
Cambio – Gear box
Camión – Truck
Caño de escape – Tail pipe
Cantero central – Road divider
Carretera – Highway
Carril – Lane
Casco – Helmet
Cebra – Crosswalk
Cinturón de seguridad – Seat belt
Coche – Car
Compartimento de guantes – Glove compartment
Conducir – To drive
Contramano – Wrong way
Cordón – Curb
Cubierta – Tire
Cuneta – Ditch
Derecho de paso – Right of way
Deslizar – Slide
Desperfecto mecánico - Breakdown
Destellante – Warning lights, flashing yellow lights
Disminuir la velocidad – Slow down
Doblar – Turn
Doble fila – Double-parked
Doble mano – Two-way
Doble sentido – Two-way
Embotellamiento – Traffic jam
Encadilar – To blind (with a strong light)
Espejo retrovisor – Rear view mirror
Esquina – Corner
Estacionar – To park
Estalle (de neumático) – Tire blow out
Extintor – Fire extinguisher
Faros – Headlights
Freno de mano – Hand brake
Gato – Jack
Girar – Turn
Giro en U – U turn
Goma pinchada – Flat tire
Libreta de circulación del vehículo – Car registration
Libreta de conducir – Driver’s license
Libreta de propiedad – Car title, ownership documents
Licencia de conducir – Driver’s license
Limpia Parabrisas – Windshield wipers
Llantas – Wheel rims
Llave de ruedas – Tire iron
Lomo de burro – Speed bump
Luces de posición – Parking lights
Luces encendidas – Lights on
Luz alta – High beam
Luz amarilla – Amber light
Luz baja – Low beam
Luz de freno – Brake lights
Luz de marcha atrás – Reverse lights
Luz roja – Red light
Luz verde – Green light
Marcha atrás – Reverse
Motocicleta – Motorcycle
Motor – Engine
Multa – Fine, ticket
Nafta – Gasoline
Neumáticos gastados – Worn tires
Neumáticos –Tires
Parabrisas – Windshield
Paragolpes – Bumper
Pasar – Overtake
Patinar – Slide, spin the wheels
Peatón – Pedestrian
Pedal de embrague – Clutch pedal
Pintura - Paint
Pisacolas – Tailgater
Portabebé – Child’s seat
Pressión de los neumáticos – Tire pressure
Primera marcha – First gear
Punto muerto – Idle (as in gear box position)
Reducir la velocidad – Slow down
Remolcar – To tow
Repecho – Incline, hill
Retrovisor interno – Rearview mirror
Rueda – Wheel
Segunda marcha – Second gear
Semáforo – Traffic light
Señaleros – Blinker, directional lights
Senda – Lane
Signo de ceda el paso – Yield sign
Signo de pare – Stop sign
Silenciador – Muffler
Tablero – Dashboard
Taller de chapa – Auto body shop
Taller mecánico – Auto garage (to fix mechanical problems)
Vereda – Sidewalk
Visera – Helmet visor
Volante – Steering wheel

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11 Responses to “Car and Driving Glossary”

urufish on June 11th, 2007 2:17 pm

Apparently the hardest part of writing your driver’s test here is the signs part. In Toronto, it’s the easiest, because it’s mostly common sense. But here, you have to know the exact name for a sign. You can’t describe it. You have to know the nomenclature. In casual conversation, I haven’t spoke with a single expat who has taken written the test here. My wife is Uruguayan, speaks and writes the language fluently, and doesn’t want to take the test..

I’m the ‘off the cliff without a chute’ kind of person so it’s just a matter of time before I convince her to go with me.
Brazzie on June 11th, 2007 5:21 pm

You should create traffic sign flash cards and carry them around at all times until you memorize the exact name for all or them.
Ant on June 11th, 2007 5:26 pm

Do you need a license issued by UY to actually drive here? From what I’ve heard and seen so far, a valid driving license issued by any country (as long as its in english) will do.
Brazzie on June 11th, 2007 5:26 pm

Urufish, here’s the link to the Manual del Conductor. I think all signs are there.
http://www.montevideo.gub.uy/transito/manualdelconductor.pdf
Brazzie on June 11th, 2007 5:34 pm

Ant, Uruguay accepts driver’s licenses from many countries. But I am not sure if you can continue to use them once you become a permanent resident. But then again you could just carry your passport with you and problem solved.

I will write a post with more info about the requirements for driving in Uruguay and for obtaining a UY driver’s license. Cheers
Urufish on June 11th, 2007 5:36 pm

Yep,that’s the driver’s handbook they use in Montevideo. Dont know if it’s the same in other places, say like Maldonado. I was told, (dont know if that’s true or not), that you must also get 100% on the test, or take it again. Maybe that’s true because there are no tricks on the exam. You are asked exactly what’s in the book and your answer must be exactly what’s in the book. So memorize the book, and you have no problem. Given several hours, I could do that in my native tongue. Memorizing it in Spanish is whole other thing. But I’m going to give it a try.
Urufish on June 11th, 2007 5:39 pm

Practically speaking, my wife was and still is Uruguayan citizen and has had a cedula her whole life. She has NEVER, EVER had a Uruguayan driver’s license. She uses her Ontario license. She was stopped twice. Once for speeding in a school zone and once when a motorcycle collided with her. On both occasions she produced her cedula and her Ontario driver’s license. In neither case was it an issue.
Brazzie on June 11th, 2007 6:26 pm

That’s good to know.

If you are in Uruguay long enough, your license from back home will eventually expire. But if you go back “home” on a regular basis, one might be able to use a foreign license forever. Hmm, interesting idea, I’ll search and see if I can confirm this.
urufish on June 12th, 2007 8:28 am

She scheduled a trip back to Toronto next month for that reason (the timing, not the trip), to renew her license. An important reason for keeping a local address is for the driver’s license.
urufish on June 14th, 2007 5:42 pm

I just read the manual… dovetails nicely into the Mate article. There’s a warning… drinking mate and driving at the same time is dangerous…
Brazzie on June 14th, 2007 6:38 pm

Yeah, I saw that. I guess you one could be charged with DWM (driving while mateing)

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