humo

smoke

noun OO-moh Rare

Origin: From Latin fumus (smoke).

Also means

fume

Usage Note

Humo covers smoke, steam, and fumes. The plural humos is used figuratively to mean arrogance: bajarle los humos a alguien means 'to take someone down a peg'. The related verb is humear (to smoke/steam) and the adjective ahumado (smoked, as in salmón ahumado).

Examples

"El humo del incendio era visible desde lejos."

Natural Translation

The smoke from the fire was visible from afar.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Preterite vs. Imperfect: Spanish Past Tense Made Easy

Preterite vs. imperfect: use the preterite for finished events, the imperfect for ongoing scenery. A trigger-word cheat sheet, flowchart, and examples.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Reflexive Verbs: Me, Te, Se Made Clear

Spanish reflexive verbs use me, te, se for actions you do to yourself. Master the daily-routine pattern, pronoun placement, and shifts like dormir vs dormirse.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

How to Say "You" in Spanish: Tú, Usted, Vos & Vosotros

Spanish has five words for "you": tú, usted, vos, vosotros, and ustedes. Learn which to use by who you're talking to and where — plus the verb endings.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Diminutives: What -ito and -ita Really Mean

Spanish diminutives rarely mean 'little.' Learn what -ito and -ita really signal — warmth, softening, downplaying — plus the -cito and -ecito formation rules.

June 9, 2026 6 min read