Spanish Words That Start with Y – Learn & Boost Your Vocabulary

Looking at Spanish words starting with ‘Y’ is quite interesting. This letter isn’t used much in Spanish, but the words it starts can tell us a lot.

For example, the word ‘yate’ (which means yacht) comes from another language. This shows how cultures and languages mix over time.

When we dig into these words, we learn not just about Spanish, but how languages influence each other.

What does this tell us about how Spanish has changed with influences from other places?

Some History Of The Letter Y In The Spanish Language

Since the 16th century, the letter ‘Y’ in Spanish has seen some big changes in how it’s used and what it represents. Back then, ‘Y’ was its own thing in the alphabet, sitting right between ‘X’ and ‘Z’, and it was used to make the ‘yod’ sound.

But in 1994, things shifted a bit when the Spanish Royal Academy decided to group ‘Y’ with the letter ‘I’. Despite that, ‘Y’ still plays its own special role when it comes to pronunciation.

200+ Spanish Words that Start with Y

When we look at Spanish words starting with ‘Y’, we see a mix of different types of words that add to the language’s diversity. There are nouns like ‘yate’ which means yacht, and ‘yogur’ which means yogurt.

There are also adjectives such as ‘yugular’, meaning jugular, and verbs like ‘yacer’, which means to lie down. Plus, ‘Y’ pops up as an adverb in words like ‘ya’, which is used a lot in daily talk.

Nouns that start with Y in Spanish

There aren’t many Spanish nouns that start with the letter ‘Y,’ but the ones that do are pretty interesting.

For example, ‘yate’ means yacht and ‘yogur’ means yogurt.

You also have words like ‘yacimiento,’ which means a deposit or resource, ‘yedra’ for ivy, and ‘yegua,’ which is a mare.

These words really show the variety in Spanish vocabulary that starts with ‘Y.’

Word	Meaning (English)
yacija	Bedding, mattress
yanta	Feast, banquet
yema	Yolk, bud
yerbaje	Collection of herbs
yesería	Plasterwork, stucco
yugo	Yoke, burden
yantar	Meal, food
yedra	Ivy, climbing plant
yodo	Iodine
yelmo	Helmet (old-style)
yesca	Tinder, dry wood
yute	Jute (natural fiber)
yegua	Mare (female horse)
yerro	Mistake, slip
yacimiento	Deposit, site (archaeological)
yabirú	Jabiru (large stork)
yedrazo	Thick ivy-covered area
yaguareté	Jaguar (native to America)
yesquero	Lighter, firestarter
yucal	Yucca plantation
yanqui	Yankee (informal)
yunque	Anvil
yip	Jeep (regional)
yerbatero	Herbalist, folk doctor
yunta	Team (of oxen)
yerbero	Herbal vendor
yeguarizo	Related to mares
yodoformo	Iodoform (chemical)
yugoide	Yoke-shaped
yocasta	Symbolic mother figure

Adjectives that start with Y in Spanish

After looking at nouns starting with ‘Y,’ let’s shift our focus to Spanish adjectives that also start with ‘Y.’

A standout is ‘yugular,’ which refers to the jugular, an important part of the neck.

This word is mostly used in medical talk or to describe something vital, kind of like how important the jugular vein is.

Word	Meaning (English)
yerto	Stiff, rigid
yacente	Lying down, dormant
yeísta	Related to yeísmo (linguistic)
yermo	Barren, desolate
yugular	Jugular (related to the neck)
yerbal	Herbal, grassy
yesoso	Chalky, plastery
yerboso	Full of grass, green
yodado	Iodized, containing iodine
yucateco	From Yucatán
yerbuno	Herbal, plant-based
yacente	Reclining, inactive
yesquero	Flammable, combustible
yuxtapuesto	Juxtaposed, side by side
yermoso	Desert-like, uninhabited
yacólico	Relating to weak breath
yodiforme	Iodine-based
yugoso	Juicy, full of sap
yermal	Relating to wastelands
yerbáceo	Herbaceous, leafy
yesado	Plastered, coated
yotado	Bent, twisted (regional)
yegüero	Related to mares
yerberil	Herbalist-like
yodoso	Full of iodine
yesoso	Powdery, dusty
yeísta	Speaking with yeísmo
yugulador	Strangling, restrictive
yerto	Frozen, motionless
yerbalino	Of grass or herb

Adverbs that start with Y in Spanish

When you look at Spanish adverbs starting with ‘Y,’ you see how they add flavor to the language. Take ‘ya’ for example. It means now, already, or still.

People use it a lot to talk about time, like when something is happening or when it has changed.

It’s pretty handy for showing that something is urgent or different now.

Word	Meaning (English)
ya	Already, now
yacer	In a lying-down position
yacente	Being in a dormant state
yugada	In the way of oxen plowing
yeísta	In a yeísmo manner
yermo	Barrenly, desertedly
yaciendo	While lying down
yesoso	Powderily, chalkily
yerboso	Greenly, in a grassy manner
yermoso	Like a wasteland
yegüilmente	Like a mare
yesado	In a plastered way
yodado	In an iodized way
yerbáceamente	Herbaceously
yaceroso	Motionlessly, still
yugada	Like oxen working together
yermosamente	In a desolate way
yugoso	Juicily, full of sap
yuxtapuesto	Side by side
yerbero	Like an herbalist
yodoso	Iodinely, medicinally
yermosamente	Like a wasteland
yerbalmente	In a grassy way
yeguarizamente	Like a mare
yesosamente	Dustily, chalkily
yacolicamente	In a weak breathing way
yermosamente	In a deserted manner
yerbero	Herbalist-like
yuguense	Like a yoke
yermil	In a barren way

You might enjoy our exciting list of Spanish Words That Start With “O”.

Verbs that start with Y in Spanish

We just talked about adverbs starting with ‘Y.’

Now, let’s talk about verbs that start with ‘Y’ in Spanish.

For example, take ‘yacer,’ which means ‘to lie down.’

You can use it to talk about someone actually lying down, or more generally, just being still or not active.

Word	Meaning (English)
yacer	To lie down
yugular	To strangle, suppress
yuxtaponer	To juxtapose, place side by side
yantar	To dine, eat
yodizar	To iodize, add iodine
yesar	To plaster, coat with stucco
yerbar	To gather herbs
yermar	To make barren, devastate
yrrear	To brand animals
yerbear	To sell herbs
yeguar	To act like a mare
yesquear	To light tinder
yescalizar	To dry something out
yuntar	To yoke together
yugosear	To squeeze, extract
yerborizar	To study herbs
yesquillar	To scrape with plaster
yoldar	To mold, shape
yermosear	To turn into wasteland
yerbear	To work with herbs
yugolizar	To control strictly
yescar	To ignite fire
yugrar	To suppress
yuxtar	To place side by side
yerbilizar	To turn into pasture
yesero	To apply stucco
yuguear	To attach, join together
yesquizar	To scrape, rub with plaster
yerrear	To make herbal medicine
yodificar	To process with iodine

Spanish Words that End with Y

Spanish words that end in ‘Y’ are rare, but they’re interesting because they show how the language mixes with others. Take ‘yogur’ for example, which means yogurt.

There’s also ‘yesterday,’ which some people use just like in English. These words come from borrowing from other languages, especially English, showing how Spanish changes with global influences.

It’s pretty cool to see how languages evolve and mix, isn’t it?

Word	Meaning (English)
virrey	Viceroy
buey	Ox
ley	Law
rey	King
convoy	Convoy, escort
caray	Darn!, Wow!
estoy	I am
voy	I go
ay	Ouch!, Oh no!
muy	Very
hoy	Today
coy	Basket for carrying animals
guay	Cool!, Great! (informal)
yay	Expression of joy
malay	From Malaysia
Uruguay	A country in South America
Paraguay	Another South American country
curay	A type of root
convoy	Escort, accompaniment
yuy	Indigenous term for herbs
ley	Law
rey	King
way	Informal word for “dude”
gay	Homosexual (neutral term)
may	Mother (regional use)
play	Informal for “game”
say	Expression of speech
toy	Toy (informal, borrowed)
joy	Joy (borrowed term)
okay	Okay (borrowed)

Don’t miss our list of Spanish Words That Start With S.

Spanish Words that Contain Y

Let’s look at some Spanish words that have the letter ‘Y’ in them.

For example, the word ‘proyecto’ means project.

Another word, ‘trayecto’, means route.

And then there’s ‘inyección’, which means injection.

These words show how the letter ‘Y’ is useful in Spanish for forming different nouns and verbs that people use every day.

Word	Meaning (English)
ayuno	Fasting
mayor	Greater, older
buey	Ox
hoyo	Hole, pit
apoyar	To support
payaso	Clown
playa	Beach
ensayo	Essay, rehearsal
leyenda	Legend, myth
coyote	Coyote (animal)
joya	Jewel, gem
rayar	To scratch, to draw lines
rayo	Lightning bolt
yacer	To lie down
mayúscula	Uppercase letter
voy	I go
yugo	Yoke, burden
orgulloyoso	Proud, boastful
hoy	Today
coyuntura	Circumstance, situation
ayuntamiento	Town hall, municipality
yeso	Plaster, cast
yema	Yolk, bud
yate	Yacht
abyecto	Abject, despicable
trayecto	Route, journey
yayo	Grandpa (informal)
ayunar	To fast
proyectar	To project, to plan
papaya	Papaya (fruit)

Conclusion

The letter ‘Y’ is really important in Spanish. It helps create a lot of different words, from nouns to verbs. Over time, ‘Y’ has made the language richer and more interesting.

When we look at words that start with, end with, or have a ‘Y’ in them, we can see just how crucial this letter is to Spanish. It’s pretty cool how one letter can do so much, right?

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