pila
nounCEFR B2
What does “pila” mean in English?
pile, stack — a tidy or untidy heap of things; also a battery
pile, stack — a tidy or untidy heap of things; also a battery (pila de informes; pila eléctrica)
Example sentences
Tenía una pila de informes pendientes de revisar que se acumulaban sobre la mesa desde hacía semanas.
She had a stack of reports waiting to be reviewed that had been accumulating on the desk for weeks.
El mando a distancia lleva tiempo sin funcionar porque las pilas están agotadas.
The remote control has not been working for a while because the batteries are flat.
¡Pon las pilas y entrega el trabajo antes del plazo, que ya va siendo hora!
Get your act together and submit the work before the deadline — it's about time!
How to use it
La pila (noun, feminine) covers two key B2 meanings: (1) a stack or orderly pile of objects (una pila de informes; una pila de libros), and (2) a battery or electric cell (pila recargable; cambiar la pila). The plural pilas also means 'batteries' in the sense of electrical cells. Key colloquial expressions: estar hecho una pila (to be a wreck), ¡Pon las pilas! (Get your act together!/Get moving!). Distinguish from montón (disorganised heap).
Common mistake
Pila (neat stack) ≠ montón (disorganised heap). Pilas (batteries) is the everyday term — batería is also used for larger batteries (car battery = batería del coche). ¡Pon las pilas! (Put in your batteries!) = get moving/get your act together — one of the most common motivational exclamations in Spanish.