La trampilla tapa el pasadizo.

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Breakdown of La trampilla tapa el pasadizo.

• el pasadizo: the secret passage
• la trampilla: the trapdoor

Questions & Answers about La trampilla tapa el pasadizo.

Why is it la trampilla but el pasadizo?

Because Spanish nouns have grammatical gender.

• trampilla is a feminine noun, so it takes la
• pasadizo is a masculine noun, so it takes el

This is about grammar, not biological sex. In Spanish, objects are also classed as masculine or feminine.

A useful thing to remember is that nouns ending in -a are often feminine, and nouns ending in -o are often masculine, though there are exceptions.

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What does trampilla mean exactly?

Trampilla usually means something like hatch, trapdoor, or small flap/door, depending on context.

The ending -illa is a diminutive ending, so historically it suggests something small. So trampilla is related to trampa or a small opening/door-like covering, but in modern usage you should usually just learn trampilla as its own word meaning hatch or trapdoor.

In Spain, it often refers to:

• a floor hatch
• an access panel
• a trapdoor-like opening

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Is tapa a verb here, or does it mean lid/cover as a noun?