The Spanish word for earth is tierra, from the Latin terra meaning earth or land. Tierra derives from Terra (or Tellus) Mater (Mother Earth), the Roman primordial goddess of planet Earth.
The Earth or la Tierra is the third (la tercera) planet from the sun (el sol) and the only planet in our solar system where human beings live. It is always spelled with a capital letter T.
As well as being the word for the planet (el planeta) we live on, tierra means earth or land in the literal sense of the word. We’ll explore this more below.
Latin American Pronunciation
European Pronunciation
Tierra is a feminine noun and therefore takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- la Tierra/tierra = the Earth/land
- las tierras = the lands
- una tierra = a land
- unas tierras = some lands
There are a few phrases that use la Tierra in the context of the Earth, our planet:
- planeta Tierra = planet Earth
- la madre Tierra = Mother Earth
- el Día de la Tierra = Earth Day (22nd April)
El Día de la Tierra es el día cuando pensamos en cómo cuidar la Madre Tierra.
Earth Day is the day when we think about how to care for Mother Earth.
In geographical terms, tierra is the name given to land or territories. It is the solid part of the Earth’s surface that is not occupied by water, meaning dry land or countries. Synonyms for tierra in this context include nación (nation) or país (country), the place where someone was born or their homeland (la patria).
It is also found in the name for the Holy Land – la Tierra Santa, the land of Israel and the region of Palestine.
Fun fact…
The name Tierra de Fuego (land of fire), an island at the southern tip of South America, was coined by explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. It was inspired by the sightings of the many bonfires the natives built.
The archipelago consisting of this island and a number of smaller islands is divided between Chile and Argentina.
Similar to the English word earth, tierra in Spanish also refers to the ground (el suelo), soil, dust, dirt, or humus (el suelo natural), the upper layer of the Earth where plants grow.
La tierra es de quien la trabaja.
The earth belongs to those who work it.
The above is a quote from Emiliano Zapata Salazar who was a leading figure in the Mexican revolution of 1910-1920 and the inspiration for the agrarian movement called Zapatismo. Zapata also adopted the slogan “Tierra y Libertad” (“Land and Liberty”)
Finally cable de tierra or polo a tierra refers to the wire that provides an electrical connection with the earth in electrical installations. In the UK, we call this wire the earth and in the US, it is known as the ground.
Idiomatic expressions featuring ‘tierra’:
Echar por tierra
Literal translation: to throw to the earth, to throw down
English meaning: to ruin or destroy
Echar tierra
Literal translation: to throw earth
English meaning: to hush up, to hide something until it is forgotten
