aluminio
nounCEFR B2
What does “aluminio” mean in English?
a lightweight, silvery-white metal used in packaging, construction and vehicles
a lightweight, silvery-white metal used in packaging, construction and vehicles (chemical element, symbol Al)
Example sentences
El papel de aluminio se usa para conservar los alimentos frescos durante más tiempo.
Aluminium foil is used to keep food fresh for longer.
La fábrica redujo sus emisiones al sustituir el acero por aluminio en la carrocería de los vehículos.
The factory reduced its emissions by replacing steel with aluminium in the vehicle bodywork.
How to use it
El aluminio (noun, masculine) is the metal aluminium/aluminum. Key B2 collocations: papel de aluminio (aluminium foil), reciclar aluminio, una lata de aluminio. Like most raw materials it is uncountable in the basic sense: decimos el aluminio, not los aluminios, except when referring to window or door frames made of the metal.
Common mistake
Aluminio has no natural plural in the material sense: el aluminio, not los aluminios, unless the word refers to finished frames (los aluminios de la ventana).
Topics
Related B2 words
Reference
This entry’s teaching guidance follows Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes (Instituto Cervantes), B2 Nociones específicas: ciencia y tecno.