bolso vs cartera
Spanish word comparison
Listen to bolso
Listen to cartera
| bolso | cartera |
|---|---|
BOL-so noun | kahr-TEH-rah noun |
| a handbag or bag, especially one used to carry personal items | a purse, wallet, or handbag, depending on the region |
How they differ
"Cartera" can mean a woman's handbag in some varieties of Spanish, but it often means a wallet or billfold. Because of that, it is less precise than "bolso" when you want to clearly say a handbag.
When to use each
When to use bolso: Use "bolso" when you want to clearly refer to a handbag or personal bag.
When to use cartera: Use "cartera" when your region uses it for a handbag, or when you specifically mean a wallet.
Side-by-side examples
- Guardó las llaves en el bolso.
(She put the keys in the handbag.) - Llevaba la cartera en la mano.
(He was carrying his wallet/purse in his hand.)
Register & nuance: "Cartera" is common, but its meaning varies by region, so it can be ambiguous compared with "bolso".