Definition
The ground beneath your feet, or the soil used for growing plants. Also used to mean "land" or "earth" in a broader sense.
Example
Los niños juegan en la tierra del parque.
Show translation
The children play in the dirt at the park.
Etymology
From Latin *terra* ("earth, land, soil"), from Proto-Indo-European *ters-* ("to dry"). The same Latin root gives English "terrain," "territory," and "terrace," and is behind the name *Tierra del Fuego* ("Land of Fire") at the tip of South America.
Cultural note
*Tierra* carries deep emotional weight in Spanish-speaking cultures — it often means not just soil but one's homeland or native region. The phrase *echar de menos la tierra* (to miss one's land) captures a nostalgia central to the experience of migration. In Latin America, *la tierra* has powerful political resonance tied to indigenous rights and agrarian reform movements. Note: English "earth" covers both "soil" and "the planet," but Spanish distinguishes *tierra* (earth/land/soil/homeland) from *el suelo* (the floor/ground underfoot).