útiles

Útiles is a term found in Spanish and Portuguese that primarily functions as the plural form of the adjective útil, meaning useful or practical. In modern usage, it is most common as an adjective, as in objetos útiles (useful objects) or herramientas útiles (useful tools). In some texts, particularly in inventories or historical writings, úlites or los útiles can appear as a plural noun referring to practical items or implements, equivalent in English to “useful items” or “tools.”

Etymology and cognates: Útil derives from Latin utilis, meaning advantageous or beneficial. This root is shared with related words in other Romance languages, such as utile in French, utile in Italian, and útil in Portuguese. The plural form útiles preserves the same semantic core across these languages: objects or qualities that serve a practical purpose.

Usage notes: In contemporary Spanish, útil is widely used as an adjective to describe things or actions that are advantageous, convenient, or serviceable. When speakers want a noun sense like “tools” or “utensils,” they typically use términos such as herramientas, utensilios, or implementos; “los útiles” is more arhaic or regional and may appear in catalogs, historical documents, or literary contexts. In Portuguese, úteis serves similarly as the plural adjective meaning useful; as a noun, it is less common, with common equivalents being ferramentas or utensílios.

Overall, útiles centers on usefulness and practicality, functioning primarily as an adjective while occasionally appearing as a historical or regional plural noun in reference to functional items.