faena

See also: faená and fäna

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish faena. Doublet of hacienda and fazenda.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɑˈeɪ.nə/
• Hyphenation: fa‧e‧na

Noun

faena (plural faenas)

1. (bullfighting) A series of passes performed by a matador with a muleta or a sword before the kill.
   • 2013, James A. Michener, Iberia, Dial Press, →ISBN, page 736:

     Faena is the vital third act in which the matador exhibits his skill with the muleta. Tradition requires that during the faena he keep his sword in his right hand, which usually also holds the muleta. Experts judge that the excellence of any single fight depends about sixty to seventy percent on the faena, which can excuse poor work elsewhere.

Translations

passes

French: faena (fr) f Spanish: faena (es) f

Catalan

Alternative forms

• feina

Etymology

Inherited from Old Catalan faena, from Latin facienda. Compare Spanish faena and Portuguese faina.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [fəˈe.nə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [faˈe.na]
• Hyphenation: fa‧e‧na

Noun

faena f (plural faenes)

1. (Valencia) work, job

   Synonym: treball

Further reading

• “faena”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “faena”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “faena” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “faena” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish faena.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fa.e.na/

Noun

faena f (plural faenas)

1. (bullfighting) faena

Latin

Noun

faena

1. nominative/accusative/vocative plural of faenum

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /faˈena/ [faˈe.na]
• Rhymes: -ena
• Syllabification: fa‧e‧na

Etymology 1

From Old Catalan faena (“task, chore”) (modern Catalan feina), from Latin facienda (“things to do”), from faciō. Compare Portuguese faina. Doublet of hacienda.

Noun

faena f (plural faenas)

1. task, job; duty

   Synonyms: chamba, quehacer, tarea

2. compulsory labour or work

   Synonym: quehacer

3. struggle
4. dirty trick
5. pity; shame
6. (bullfighting) faena (series of passes performed by a matador with cape or sword before the kill)

Derived terms

• faenar

See also

• fajina

Etymology 2

Verb

faena

1. inflection of faenar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “faena”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024