cubo
nounCEFR B2
What does “cubo” mean in English?
bin, bucket — a container for waste or rubbish
bin, bucket — a container for waste or rubbish (cubo de basura/reciclaje); also a geometric cube and a bucket (Spain usage)
Example sentences
El ayuntamiento ha instalado cubos de reciclaje diferenciados en todos los edificios residenciales para facilitar la recogida selectiva.
The city council has installed separate recycling bins in all residential buildings to facilitate selective waste collection.
No tires ese papel al cubo de basura: sepáralo y ponlo en el contenedor azul.
Don't throw that paper in the rubbish bin: separate it and put it in the blue container.
La propuesta de eliminar los cubos de basura individuales en las oficinas pretende reducir el plástico de un solo uso.
The proposal to eliminate individual office bins aims to reduce single-use plastic.
How to use it
El cubo (noun, masculine) means 'bucket, bin, cube'. The primary B2 relevance as an English canon noun is 'bin' (rubbish bin, recycling bin). In Spain, el cubo de (la) basura is the standard term for a rubbish bin (British English) / trash can (American English); el cubo de reciclaje for a recycling bin. Secondary senses: el cubo (a geometric cube), el cubo de Rubik (Rubik's cube). Core collocations: tirar algo al cubo de basura; vaciar el cubo; separar residuos en cubos de colores. Note that papelera (wastepaper basket) and contenedor (large outdoor recycling container) are distinct from cubo.
Common mistake
El cubo de basura (Spain) corresponds to la papelera (for paper/small waste) and el contenedor (for street-level recycling). Latin America uses basurero, caneca, papelero, or tacho depending on country. The English 'bin' as a verb ('bin it') = tirarlo al cubo or tirarlo a la basura in Spanish (no direct verbal equivalent). The geometric sense 'cube' = cubo or cuadrado en 3D.