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A2 noun #4,000 más común 6 min de lectura

lama

Top 4,000

Practícalo Ejemplos Notas y consejos lama en 30 segundos

Explicación lama in your Level:

At the A1 level, you should learn 'lama' as a basic noun related to nature and weather. You will use it to describe simple situations, such as why your shoes are dirty after it rains. Focus on the gender (feminine: a lama) and simple sentences like 'A lama é marrom' (The mud is brown). You don't need to worry about metaphorical meanings yet; just focus on the physical substance you see on the ground.

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At the A2 level, you begin to use 'lama' in more descriptive contexts. You should be able to talk about getting stuck or slipping. You will use common verbs like 'pisar' (to step) and 'sujar' (to dirty). You might also encounter the word in simple stories or news reports about rain. This is the stage where you distinguish 'lama' from 'barro' (clay) and start using contractions like 'na lama' (in the mud).

At the B1 level, you can use 'lama' to describe experiences and events in more detail. You might talk about a difficult hike or a festival where there was a lot of mud. You also start to understand the metaphorical use of 'lama' in terms of social standing or personal feelings, such as 'estar na lama' (to be in a bad situation). Your vocabulary expands to include related words like 'lamaçal' (muddy place) and 'enlameado' (muddy).

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At the B2 level, you should be comfortable with 'lama' in complex news reports, literature, and idiomatic expressions. You will understand the nuances between 'lama', 'lodo', and 'charco'. You can discuss environmental issues, such as mining disasters involving 'lama tóxica', and use the word to argue points about reputation and ethics in professional contexts. You can use the word fluently in various registers, from informal storytelling to formal reports.

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At the C1 level, you recognize the subtle connotations of 'lama' in high-level literature and political discourse. You understand how authors use mud as a symbol of human struggle, decay, or rebirth. You are familiar with rare idioms and can use the word with precision to evoke specific imagery. You can also discuss the scientific properties of different types of 'lama' in technical discussions if necessary.

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At the C2 level, your mastery of 'lama' is indistinguishable from a native speaker. You appreciate the word's etymological roots and its role in the evolution of the Portuguese language. You can play with the word in poetry or creative writing, using it to create complex metaphors. You understand regional variations in its use across the Lusophone world and can interpret the word's meaning in any possible context, no matter how abstract.

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Practícalo Ejemplos Notas y consejos

lama en 30 segundos

Lama is the Portuguese word for mud, a feminine noun used for wet earth.
It is commonly used literally for rain-soaked ground and metaphorically for corruption.
Key verbs include 'sujar' (to dirty) and 'atolar' (to get stuck).
Related terms include 'barro' (clay) and 'lodo' (slime or silt).

The Portuguese word lama refers to the substance created when soil, earth, or dust becomes saturated with water. In its most literal sense, it is the mud you find on a hiking trail after a heavy rainstorm or at the bottom of a riverbed. However, the term carries significant weight in both physical and metaphorical contexts within the Portuguese language. Understanding lama requires looking beyond the simple mixture of dirt and water to see how it represents filth, difficulty, and even degradation in social or moral contexts.

Physical State: Lama is characterized by its viscosity and stickiness. It is the material that clings to shoes and bicycle tires. In rural areas of Brazil and Portugal, the presence of lama on the roads can signify a complete halt in transportation during the rainy season.

As crianças voltaram para casa cobertas de lama depois de brincarem no jardim sob a chuva forte.

Metaphorical Weight: Metaphorically, lama is used to describe a state of moral corruption or a very low point in someone's life. If a politician's reputation is 'na lama', it suggests they are involved in scandals or have lost all public respect. It is a powerful image of being stuck in something dirty and difficult to escape.

O escândalo de corrupção arrastou o nome da empresa pela lama.

Environmental Context: In environmental news, particularly in Brazil, 'lama' is often associated with mining disasters, such as the tragic dam collapses in Mariana and Brumadinho, where 'lama tóxica' (toxic mud) destroyed ecosystems and communities. This has given the word a somber, heavy connotation in recent years.

Using the word lama correctly involves understanding its gender and common verb pairings. As a feminine noun, it is always preceded by feminine articles or adjectives: a lama, muita lama, aquela lama. Because mud is a mass noun, it is rarely used in the plural unless referring to different types or specific patches of mud.

Common Verbs: The most common verbs associated with lama are 'pisar' (to step), 'sujar' (to get dirty), 'atolar' (to get stuck), and 'limpar' (to clean). For example, 'Eu pisei na lama' (I stepped in the mud) or 'O carro atolou na lama' (The car got stuck in the mud).

Cuidado para não escorregar na lama que se formou perto do portão.

Descriptive Adjectives: Adjectives often used with lama include 'espessa' (thick), 'escorregadia' (slippery), 'fria' (cold), and 'podre' (rotten/smelly). These help specify the condition of the mud, which is important in descriptive writing or storytelling.

A lama espessa dificultava a passagem dos pedestres pela trilha da floresta.

Prepositional Use: You will often see 'de' or 'com' used with lama to describe what something is covered in. 'Sujo de lama' (Dirty with mud) or 'Coberto de lama' (Covered in mud). Example: 'Meus sapatos estão cheios de lama' (My shoes are full of mud).

In daily life, the word lama appears in various settings. In rural environments, it is a constant topic of conversation during the winter or rainy seasons. Farmers and residents discuss the state of the roads and the difficulty of moving cattle through the 'lamaçal' (a large expanse of mud). In urban centers, you might hear it when construction workers describe the ground conditions or when someone accidentally ruins their clothes after a storm.

News and Media: Journalists frequently use the word when reporting on natural disasters. Phrases like 'mar de lama' (sea of mud) are common headlines when describing floods that carry debris and soil into residential areas. It evokes a sense of overwhelming destruction.

O repórter informou que a lama atingiu o telhado das casas após o deslizamento.

Sports and Recreation: In the world of off-road racing or mountain biking, lama is a central element. Enthusiasts might say, 'Hoje a pista está com muita lama, vai ser um desafio!' (Today the track has a lot of mud, it's going to be a challenge!). Here, the word takes on a more adventurous and exciting tone.

Os jipes ficaram completamente marrons por causa da lama no percurso.

English speakers learning Portuguese often encounter a few pitfalls when using lama. The most common mistake is related to gender. Since many words ending in '-a' are feminine, learners usually get the gender right, but they might mistakenly use masculine articles if they confuse it with words like 'o mapa' or 'o dia'. Always remember: a lama.

Confusion with 'Lama' (Animal): In English, 'llama' refers to the Andean animal. In Portuguese, the animal is spelled 'lhama'. While they sound similar, they are distinct. Don't tell someone there is a 'lama' in the zoo unless the zoo is very poorly maintained and flooded!

Errado: O lama está sujo. Correto: A lama está suja.

Overusing 'Lama' for Clay: A common error is using 'lama' when you actually mean 'barro'. If you are talking about pottery, ceramics, or making bricks, the correct word is 'barro'. 'Lama' implies something messy and unwanted, whereas 'barro' is a material for creation.

O artesão moldou o barro (não a lama) para fazer um vaso.

Portuguese has several words that describe wet earth, each with its own nuance. Choosing the right one depends on the consistency, location, and context of the substance.

Lodo: This refers to silt or sludge, often found at the bottom of lakes or in sewers. It is usually thinner and slimier than lama. It often carries a connotation of being smelly or stagnant.
Barro: As mentioned before, this is clay. It is mud that has a high mineral content and can be shaped or dried into a hard state. It is often reddish in color.
Brejo: While often translated as 'swamp', it also refers to the boggy, muddy ground characteristic of wetlands. You wouldn't say your shoes have 'brejo' on them, but you might say you stepped into a 'brejo'.

A diferença entre a lama comum e o lodo é a textura e o cheiro.

How Formal Is It?

Dato curioso

The word 'lama' is one of the few words that has remained almost identical from its late Latin roots into modern Portuguese.

Guía de pronunciación

UK /ˈlɐ.mɐ/

US /ˈlɑ.mə/

The stress is on the first syllable: LA-ma.

Rima con

cama (bed) fama (fame) drama (drama) grama (grass/gram) chama (flame) trama (plot) pijama (pajamas) proclama (proclaims)

Errores comunes

Pronouncing the final 'a' too openly like 'ah'.
Confusing it with the English pronunciation of 'llama' (which has a 'y' sound in some Spanish-influenced accents).
Failing to nasalize the first 'a' slightly due to the following 'm'.
Stress on the second syllable.
Thinking the 'l' is a dark 'l' as in English 'ball' (it should be a light 'l').

Nivel de dificultad

Lectura 2/5

Easy to recognize in texts as it is a short, common word.

Escritura 2/5

Simple spelling, just remember it is feminine.

Expresión oral 3/5

Requires correct nasalization of the first vowel.

Escucha 2/5

Distinct sound, usually clear in speech.

Qué aprender después

Requisitos previos

água terra chuva sujo limpo

Aprende después

barro lodo escorregar atolar tempestade

Avanzado

sedimentação viscosidade degradação calúnia

Gramática que debes saber

Contractions with 'em'

Em + a = na (na lama).

Feminine Noun Gender

A lama (not o lama).

Mass Nouns

Use 'muita lama' instead of 'muitas lamas'.

Adjective Agreement

Lama espessa (feminine singular).

Past Participle as Adjective

Sapatos enlameados (from the verb enlamear).

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Ejemplos por nivel

A lama é preta.

The mud is black.

Simple subject-verb-adjective structure.

O cachorro tem lama.

The dog has mud.

Using 'ter' to indicate presence.

Eu vejo a lama.

I see the mud.

Direct object with feminine article.

Não pise na lama.

Don't step in the mud.

Imperative negative with 'na' (em + a).

Onde está a lama?

Where is the mud?

Basic question structure.

A lama está molhada.

The mud is wet.

Using 'estar' for a temporary state.

Minha bota tem lama.

My boot has mud.

Possessive adjective 'minha'.

A chuva faz lama.

The rain makes mud.

Simple cause and effect.

Eu sujei meus sapatos na lama.

I dirtied my shoes in the mud.

Past tense 'sujei'.

O carro não anda por causa da lama.

The car doesn't move because of the mud.

Using 'por causa de' for reason.

As crianças adoram brincar na lama.

The children love to play in the mud.

Plural subject with 'na'.

A estrada está cheia de lama hoje.

The road is full of mud today.

Adjective phrase 'cheia de'.

Depois da tempestade, havia muita lama.

After the storm, there was a lot of mud.

Imperfect tense of 'haver'.

Ele escorregou na lama e caiu.

He slipped in the mud and fell.

Sequential actions in the past.

Nós precisamos limpar essa lama.

We need to clean this mud.

Infinitive after 'precisar'.

A lama secou no sol.

The mud dried in the sun.

Change of state verb 'secar'.

O caminhão atolou na lama profunda.

The truck got stuck in the deep mud.

Specific verb 'atolar'.

A minha reputação ficou na lama depois do erro.

My reputation was in the mud after the mistake.

Metaphorical use of 'na lama'.

O festival de música virou um grande lamaçal.

The music festival turned into a big muddy mess.

Noun 'lamaçal' for emphasis.

Eles fizeram um banho de lama no spa.

They did a mud bath at the spa.

Compound noun 'banho de lama'.

É difícil caminhar quando a lama é tão grudenta.

It is difficult to walk when the mud is so sticky.

Adjective 'grudenta'.

A lama cobriu toda a plantação.

The mud covered the entire plantation.

Verb 'cobrir' in the past.

Sempre que chove, esta rua vira lama.

Whenever it rains, this street turns into mud.

Verb 'virar' indicating transformation.

Não deixe a lama entrar na casa.

Don't let the mud enter the house.

Causative structure with 'deixar'.

O governo tentou esconder a lama da corrupção.

The government tried to hide the mud of corruption.

Abstract metaphorical use.

A enchente trouxe uma lama espessa que destruiu tudo.

The flood brought a thick mud that destroyed everything.

Descriptive adjective 'espessa'.

O atleta cruzou a linha de chegada coberto de lama.

The athlete crossed the finish line covered in mud.

Past participle as adjective.

A lama asfáltica é usada para pavimentar ruas.

Asphalt mud is used to pave streets.

Technical term 'lama asfáltica'.

Apesar da lama, eles continuaram a caminhada.

Despite the mud, they continued the hike.

Concessive conjunction 'apesar de'.

O deslizamento de terra soterrou a vila sob a lama.

The landslide buried the village under the mud.

Verb 'soterrar' (to bury).

Ela sentiu a lama fria entre os dedos dos pés.

She felt the cold mud between her toes.

Sensory description.

A lama secou e formou rachaduras no chão.

The mud dried and formed cracks in the ground.

Resultative clause.

A retórica política muitas vezes se resume a atirar lama.

Political rhetoric often boils down to mud-slinging.

Idiomatic 'atirar lama'.

O ecossistema demorará décadas para se recuperar da lama tóxica.

The ecosystem will take decades to recover from the toxic mud.

Environmental terminology.

A alma do poeta parecia mergulhada na lama da melancolia.

The poet's soul seemed plunged into the mud of melancholy.

High-level literary metaphor.

A viscosidade da lama impedia qualquer tentativa de resgate.

The viscosity of the mud prevented any rescue attempt.

Formal noun 'viscosidade'.

Havia um rastro de lama que denunciava o invasor.

There was a trail of mud that gave away the intruder.

Verb 'denunciar' meaning to reveal.

A lama termal desta região é famosa por suas propriedades curativas.

The thermal mud of this region is famous for its healing properties.

Specific regional context.

O terreno tornou-se uma lama movediça após a inundação.

The ground became quicksand-like mud after the flood.

Descriptive 'lama movediça'.

A lama acumulada nos pneus causou a derrapagem do veículo.

The mud accumulated on the tires caused the vehicle to skid.

Technical cause-effect description.

A existência humana, por vezes, arrasta-se pela lama do mundano.

Human existence, at times, drags itself through the mud of the mundane.

Philosophical abstraction.

A lama sedimentar revela segredos geológicos de milênios atrás.

Sedimentary mud reveals geological secrets from millennia ago.

Scientific register.

Não permitirei que manchem minha honra com essa lama de mentiras.

I will not allow them to stain my honor with this mud of lies.

Formal declamatory style.

A porosidade do solo foi alterada pela deposição de lama vulcânica.

The soil's porosity was altered by the deposition of volcanic mud.

Geological terminology.

A lama, em sua essência, é o berço de onde brota a vida renovada.

Mud, in its essence, is the cradle from which renewed life springs.

Poetic inversion.

O processo de decantação separou a água límpida da lama residual.

The decantation process separated the clear water from the residual mud.

Industrial process description.

Sua vida foi um constante esforço para emergir da lama da pobreza extrema.

His life was a constant effort to emerge from the mud of extreme poverty.

Sociopolitical metaphor.

A lama estagnada exalava um odor fétido que impregnava o ar.

The stagnant mud exhaled a foul odor that permeated the air.

Evocative sensory language.

Colocaciones comunes

banho de lama

mar de lama

lama tóxica

pisar na lama

sujo de lama

lama asfáltica

atolar na lama

limpar a lama

lama vulcânica

cheio de lama

Frases Comunes

tirar da lama

— To help someone out of a very difficult or desperate situation.

Ele me tirou da lama quando eu perdi o emprego.

jogar lama

— To slander or try to ruin someone's reputation.

Eles estão jogando lama no candidato da oposição.

até o pescoço na lama

— To be deeply involved in a bad or corrupt situation.

O político está até o pescoço na lama.

pé na lama

— Literally having feet in mud, often used to describe rural or humble work.

Ele cresceu com o pé na lama, trabalhando na roça.

lama no ventilador

— Similar to 'shit hitting the fan', when a scandal becomes public.

Quando a verdade aparecer, vai ser lama no ventilador.

limpar o nome da lama

— To restore one's reputation after a scandal.

Ele está tentando limpar o nome da lama.

nascer na lama

— To be born into extreme poverty or difficult circumstances.

Ele nasceu na lama mas venceu na vida.

arrastar na lama

— To humiliate or degrade someone's name.

Não arraste o nome da nossa família na lama.

mergulhado na lama

— Deeply involved in something dirty or immoral.

A empresa está mergulhada na lama da corrupção.

lama pura

— Used to describe a place that is exceptionally muddy.

O caminho para a fazenda é lama pura.

Se confunde a menudo con

lama vs barro

Barro is clay, used for pottery. Lama is just messy mud.

lama vs lodo

Lodo is slippery silt or sludge found underwater.

lama vs lhama

Lhama is the animal from the Andes. Lama is mud.

Modismos y expresiones

"Estar na lama"

— To be in a terrible financial or emotional state.

Depois da falência, ele ficou na lama.

informal

"Atirar lama a alguém"

— To insult or accuse someone to damage their image.

É fácil atirar lama quando não se tem provas.

neutral

"Sair da lama"

— To overcome a period of great difficulty or poverty.

Ela trabalhou duro para sair da lama.

informal

"Cair na lama"

— To lose one's dignity or social status.

O ídolo caiu na lama após o escândalo.

neutral

"Lama de um mesmo poço"

— Equivalent to 'cut from the same cloth', usually referring to bad people.

Aqueles dois são lama de um mesmo poço.

informal

"Viver na lama"

— To live in very poor or immoral conditions.

Ele não queria mais viver na lama do crime.

neutral

"Afundar na lama"

— To get progressively worse in a bad situation.

Sem ajuda, ele vai afundar na lama.

neutral

"Lamber a lama"

— To be extremely submissive or humiliated.

Ele fez o rival lamber a lama.

informal

"Pisar na lama sem se sujar"

— To be in a bad environment but remain uncorrupted.

Ele pisa na lama sem se sujar.

literary

"Cobrir de lama"

— To bring great shame upon someone.

Suas ações cobriram a instituição de lama.

formal

Fácil de confundir

lama vs lhama

Phonetically similar for English speakers.

Lhama is an animal (feminine: a lhama). Lama is mud (feminine: a lama). In Portuguese, 'lh' is a distinct sound like 'million'.

A lhama vive nos Andes, mas a lama está no chão.

lama vs lama (monk)

The Tibetan monk title 'Lama'.

In Portuguese, the Buddhist monk is 'lama' (masculine: o lama). The mud is 'lama' (feminine: a lama).

O lama tibetano medita, enquanto a lama da chuva seca.

lama vs lame (English)

Visual similarity.

'Lame' is an English adjective. 'Lama' is a Portuguese noun. They have zero shared meaning.

That is a lame joke (English) vs. O sapato está na lama (Portuguese).

lama vs lamaçal

Suffix confusion.

Lamaçal is a noun derived from lama, meaning a large muddy area or a quagmire.

A lama sujou minha mão, mas o lamaçal parou o carro.

lama vs lodo

Both involve wet earth.

Lodo is usually thinner, more organic, and found in stagnant water or drains. Lama is more earth-based.

O lodo é verde e escorregadio.

Patrones de oraciones

A lama é [adjective].

A lama é marrom.

Eu tenho [noun] na lama.

Eu tenho sapatos na lama.

O carro [verb] na lama.

O carro atolou na lama.

Estou [preposition] na lama.

Estou na lama hoje.

Apesar da lama, [clause].

Apesar da lama, chegamos cedo.

A lama de [abstract noun] [verb].

A lama da corrupção destruiu o país.

[Verb] o nome na lama.

Ele arrastou o nome na lama.

A [adjective] lama [verb] o [noun].

A viscosa lama soterrou o vilarejo.

Familia de palabras

Sustantivos

lamaçal (large muddy area)

lamaceira (muddy place)

lamagem (silt/residue)

Verbos

enlamear (to cover in mud)

atolar (to get stuck in mud)

desatolar (to get out of mud)

Adjetivos

enlameado (muddy)

lamacento (muddy/slushy)

lamoso (full of mud)

Relacionado

barro

lodo

charco

brejo

pântano

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Cómo usarlo

frequency

High, especially in tropical climates with heavy rains.

Errores comunes

O lama está sujo. → A lama está suja.
Lama is a feminine noun, so it requires 'a' and 'suja'.
Eu vi uma lama no zoológico. → Eu vi uma lhama no zoológico.
Lama is mud; lhama is the animal.
O vaso é de lama. → O vaso é de barro.
Pottery is made of 'barro' (clay), not 'lama' (mud).
Eu pisei no lodo da rua. → Eu pisei na lama da rua.
Lodo is usually in water/sewers; lama is on the ground after rain.
Muita lamas na estrada. → Muita lama na estrada.
Lama is an uncountable mass noun in this context.

Consejos

Gender Check

Always pair 'lama' with feminine articles: a lama, esta lama, muita lama.

Synonym Choice

Use 'lamaçal' to describe a place that is completely covered in mud.

Nasal 'A'

The 'm' after the 'a' makes the vowel slightly nasal. Practice by saying 'ah' and then closing your nose.

Metaphorical Use

Use 'tirar da lama' when you want to say you helped someone out of a mess.

Mud-Slinging

The phrase 'atirar lama' is perfect for discussing political scandals.

Don't forget the 'h'

If you mean the animal, it's 'lhama'. If you mean the dirt, it's 'lama'.

Environment

In news, 'lama' often refers to environmental disasters involving mining waste.

Therapeutic Mud

Remember 'banho de lama' if you are at a spa or hot springs.

Verbs

Learn 'atolar' (to get stuck) as it is the most common action associated with mud and vehicles.

Opposites

The best way to remember 'lama' is to associate it with 'limpeza' (cleaning).

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Think of a 'Llama' (the animal) walking through 'Lama' (the mud). If a Llama falls in the Lama, it gets dirty!

Asociación visual

Imagine a bright red boot stepping into a thick, brown puddle of mud. The contrast between the clean boot and the 'lama' helps lock in the meaning.

Word Web

chuva (rain) terra (earth) água (water) sujeira (dirt) escorregar (slip) atolar (get stuck) limpar (clean) barro (clay)

Desafío

Try to use 'lama' in three different ways today: describe the weather, describe your shoes, and use the idiom 'estar na lama'.

Origen de la palabra

From the Vulgar Latin 'lama', which meant a puddle, bog, or slough.

Significado original: A wet, boggy place or a pool of stagnant water.

Romance language family, originating from Latin roots shared with Spanish and Italian (though Spanish often uses 'lodo' or 'barro').

Contexto cultural

Be careful using 'lama' to describe people or their lives, as it can be very insulting if not used in a clearly empathetic or idiomatic way.

English speakers might find the metaphorical use of 'mud' similar to 'mud-slinging' or 'your name is mud', making the transition to Portuguese idioms easier.

The song 'Lama' by Mauro Duarte, a classic samba about heartbreak. The 'Bloco da Lama' in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro. Reports on the 'Mar de Lama' disaster in Mariana, Brazil.

Practica en la vida real

Contextos reales

Weather

Choveu muito e fez lama.
A rua está com lama.
Cuidado com a lama.
A lama secou.

Driving

O carro atolou na lama.
Pneus para lama.
Estrada de lama.
Muita lama na pista.

Hiking

Trilha com muita lama.
Minhas botas têm lama.
Escorreguei na lama.
A lama está funda.

Beauty/Spa

Banho de lama relaxante.
Lama negra facial.
Máscara de lama.
Propriedades da lama.

Metaphorical

Estar na lama.
Sair da lama.
Jogar lama nos outros.
Nome na lama.

Inicios de conversación

"Você já atolou o carro na lama alguma vez?"

"O que você faz quando seus sapatos ficam cheios de lama?"

"Você acha que banhos de lama realmente fazem bem para a pele?"

"Como está a estrada para a fazenda? Tem muita lama?"

"Você já participou de uma corrida na lama?"

Temas para diario

Descreva um dia em que você ficou completamente sujo de lama.

O que a palavra 'lama' representa para você em um sentido figurado?

Escreva sobre uma vez que você ajudou alguém a 'sair da lama'.

Imagine um mundo onde toda a terra virasse lama. Como seria a vida?

Descreva as sensações táteis de pisar na lama descalço.

Preguntas frecuentes

10 preguntas

It is feminine: 'a lama'. Thinking it is masculine is a common mistake for beginners.

Technically yes, but 'barro' is much more accurate for clay used in crafts or building.

It means to be in a very bad situation, usually financial or moral. It's like saying you're 'in the gutter'.

Yes, 'lamas', but it's rarely used. You would mostly use it in technical or poetic contexts.

The most common adjective is 'enlameado' or 'lamacento'.

No, the animal is 'lhama' with an 'h'.

Yes, it is used identically in both countries.

It is a technical term for a mixture used in road surfacing.

Usually, we use 'neve derretida' or 'lama de neve', but 'lama' alone implies dirt.

Its literal meaning isn't slang, but its metaphorical uses (like 'estar na lama') are informal.

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