Jewelry box

[Jessica]

jewelry = joyería?
box = estuche?

jewelry box = joyería de estuche??

by the way.... how would you say "pencil sharpener"?

¿Como se dice "pencil sharpener" en español?

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by jchen

jewelry = joyería
box = estuche (Yes, but this is usually a case that holds pens or pencils, and watches)

jewelry box = joyería de estuche (Say estuche de joyería for a jewelry case, but the most common word for a jewelry box is joyero.)


by the way.... how would you say "pencil sharpener"?

¿Como se dice "pencil sharpener" en español?
Se dice un sacapuntas.

See above.

[ElDanés]

I learned that caja is a box, but apparently there are other options as well. When and to what is a caja used?

[Rusty]

Una caja is a box, and is used wherever box is used in English.
Un estuche, as I mentioned above, usually means a case, as in a pencil case, an eyeglass case, or a where you would store a violin. It isn't a box. No es una caja.

[ElDanés]

¡Gracias, Rusty, por la explicación!

[Tomisimo]

I've usually heard alhajero for jewelry box.

[CrOtALiTo]

Yes, also I have heard Alajero, and it's translate as jewelry box.

[Jessica]

alajero or joyero??
which one?

[Rusty]

If you google both terms, you'll find that one is more popular.

Rule of thumb:
Learn the word that is used by the Spanish speakers you associate with. When you encounter folks that use another Spanish word for the same thing, learn their word and use it when you're among them.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

[Tomisimo]

Very true Rusty. Also Jchen, if you already know the word "joya", then it's easier to remember "joyero" than "alhajero". Also: alhajas = joyas.

[Elaina]

Originally Posted by jchen

alajero or joyero??
which one?

My two cents worth.....

Joyero = Jeweler

Alajero = jewelry box

[Planet hopper]

Alajero is not common usage in Spain, alajas is. Joyero is way more common here

[Rusty]

We should state, for the record, that joyero is used for both the jeweler and the jewelry case/box so that Jessica has no doubts about what has already been said. When joyero is used to describe a profession, it can end in -o or -a to match the person's gender.

The word alhajero comes from the word alhaja (joya). It describes the case/box, but not the jeweler. The word joyero comes from joya, and is the word for the jeweler and the case/box.

[Planet hopper]

You're right about the h, sorry
How about a joke?

El me dijo que era joyero, y al final resulto que hacia joyos (hoyos)

:-)

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Planet hopper

...
How about a joke?

El me dijo que era joyero, y al final resulto que hacia joyos (hoyos)

:-)

Isn't this joke only understood by personas bilingües?

[Planet hopper]

If you understood it, welcome to bilingualism
pronouncing an initial h as a j is taken as low social level (vulgarism), adding contrast to the fact of being a 'joyero'

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by Rusty

The word alhajero comes from the word alhaja (joya). It describes the case/box, but not the jeweler. The word joyero comes from joya, and is the word for the jeweler and the case/box.

Thanks Rusty, I've corrected my misspellings.