zorro ártico
/θoro aɾtiko/from spelling rulesmasculine
The English phrase "arctic fox" is translated into Spanish as zorro ártico. Wiktionary also lists zorro polar and zorro blanco.
Meaning: Vulpes lagopus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| zorro ártico | /θoro aɾtiko/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /soro aɾtiko/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| zorro polar | /θoro polaɾ/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /soro polaɾ/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| zorro blanco | /θoro blanko/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /soro blanko/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| zorro de las nieves | /θoro de las njebes/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /soro de las njebes/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
All forms refer to the animal Vulpes lagopus.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase zorro ártico, zorro means fox and ártico means arctic.
Which one should you use?
While zorro ártico is a direct way to name the species, zorro polar is a common alternative that emphasizes the polar habitat rather than the specific Arctic region. You may also see zorro blanco or zorro de las nieves used to describe the animal.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, both the noun zorro and the adjective ártico must take the plural suffix -s, resulting in los zorros árticos. If you are referring specifically to a female fox, you change the noun to zorra and the adjective to the feminine ártica, as in la zorra ártica.
How do you pronounce it?
/θoro aɾtiko/
Did you know?
- While zorro describes a clever person, using the feminine zorra to describe a person is a severe and offensive insult in most Spanish-speaking countries.
- The word ártico has a hidden connection to bears. It originates from the Ancient Greek word for 'bear', referring to the constellation Ursa Major which marks the north.
- In Spanish, describing someone as a zorro is often a compliment to their cunning and cleverness.
Examples in context
- Vi un zorro ártico en la fotoI saw an arctic fox in the picture.
- El zorro polar es conocido por su grueso pelaje blancoThe arctic fox is known for its thick white fur.
- El zorro ártico vive en el hielo.The arctic fox lives on the ice.
- He visto un zorro ártico en el documental.I saw an arctic fox in the documentary.
- El zorro ártico tiene un pelaje muy grueso.The arctic fox has very thick fur.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are looking at a nature book in a library.
- Elena¿Qué animal es este, Alejandro?What animal is this, Alejandro?
- AlejandroEs un zorro ártico.It is an arctic fox.
- ElenaEs un zorro ártico muy hermoso.It is a very beautiful arctic fox.
- AlejandroSí, es un animal increíble.Yes, it is an incredible animal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “arctic fox” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries blanco, de, las, polar, zorro, ártico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
