Search from various English teachers...
Craig Hall
Yerba or Hierba
I am a Spanish teacher and I introduced song lyrics that read,
"Pinto la yerba verde como la esperanza."
I introduced the word 'yerba' to mean 'grass' but I was corrected by a student from Spain who said that it is "herb" and grass is translated as 'hierba.'
Technically, I think she might be correct but I'm thinking that the lyrics were meant to colloquially say 'grass.' I'm not sure. Can 'yerba' be used to mean 'grass?" Some Spanish-English dictionaries seem to indicate that.
So is there a difference between Spain and Latin America with this word usage? Thank you for your help. I'm confused.
Mar 27, 2019 2:23 PM
Answers · 2
3
I would say that "hierba" is the formal/educated form. The RAE dictionary has an entry for "yerba" with its first meaning being "hierba". There is no indication of a regional use, therefore, it seems "yerba" is an accepted variant for "hierba". https://dle.rae.es/?id=cAkoSeM
Some words have the "yerba" root and are quite common in certain areas: yerbabuena (spearmint), even though, the form hierbabuena also exists.
March 27, 2019
Just like Antonio mentioned " hierba" would be considered standard. although "yerba" is accepted. Educated professionals would never write it as "yerba."
March 27, 2019
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
Craig Hall
Language Skills
English, French, Spanish
Learning Language
French
Articles You May Also Like

How to Ask for a Raise or Promotion in English
8 likes · 6 Comments

The Key to Learning a Language Faster
29 likes · 8 Comments

Why "General English" is Failing Your Career (An Engineer’s Perspective)
29 likes · 12 Comments
More articles
