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fábula

fable, moral tale

noun FAH-boo-lah Rare

Origin: Latin fabula 'story, narrative'

Also means

myth, fabrication

Usage Note

Fábula most commonly refers to a short allegorical tale with animal characters that teaches a moral lesson — the genre of Aesop and La Fontaine. It can also mean a myth, legend, or outright fabrication (todo es una fábula — 'it's all a made-up story'). The adjective fabuloso ('fabulous') comes from the same root but has shifted to mean 'wonderful' in everyday speech.

Examples

"La fábula de la cigarra y la hormiga es muy conocida."

Natural Translation

The fable of the grasshopper and the ant is very well known.

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