Skip to content

sierra

mountain range

noun SYEH-rrah Rare

Origin: From Latin serra (saw), because jagged mountain ridges resemble a saw blade.

Also means

saw

Usage Note

Sierra has two core meanings: a mountain range with a jagged profile (la Sierra Nevada, la Sierra Madre) and a saw (sierra eléctrica — electric saw, sierra de mano — handsaw). In geography, sierra implies a rugged, serrated ridge rather than a smooth range. The word also appears in many place names across Spain and Latin America.

Examples

"Pasamos el fin de semana esquiando en la sierra."

Natural Translation

We spent the weekend skiing in the mountains.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

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

Explore Spanish by topic