ternero
/teɾˈneɾo/
The English phrase "baby cow" is translated into Spanish as ternero.
The term refers to a young bovine animal. While it is the standard term used in agricultural and everyday contexts for a calf, it is a synonym for the word becerro.
Which one should you use?
ternero is the standard term for a calf, whereas becerro is a common synonym used in many Spanish-speaking regions. You may also use the diminutive forms ternerito or ternerita when you want to refer to a cute little baby cow.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word becerro is a common synonym for ternero used in many different Spanish-speaking regions.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes its ending to indicate gender: ternero is a male calf and ternera is a female calf. To form the plural, add -s to the masculine form to get terneros. The diminutive ternerita is used specifically for a female baby cow.
How do you pronounce it?
/teɾˈneɾo/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, becerro can be used as a colloquial insult to describe someone who is foolish or clumsy.
- In Spain, the term ternera is frequently used on menus to refer to a specific grade of veal, rather than just any female baby cow.
- The word ternero is built from the adjective tierno, which means 'tender' or 'soft'. It essentially describes the animal as being 'the tender one'.
Examples in context
- Vi un lindo ternero en la granja hoyI saw a cute baby cow on the farm today
- Los becerros son alimentados con leche maternaThe calves are fed with mother's milk
- Mi hermanito quedó encantado con la vaquita recién nacidaMy little brother was delighted by the newborn baby cow
- El ternero es muy pequeño.The calf is very small.
- Vimos un ternero en el campo.We saw a calf in the field.
- Ese ternero corre muy rápido.That calf runs very fast.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are visiting a farm.
- Mateo¿Viste aquel ternero cerca de la cerca?Did you see that calf near the fence?
- SofíaSí, es un ternero muy bonito.Yes, it is a very pretty calf.
- MateoParece que tiene mucha energía.He seems to have a lot of energy.
- SofíaEs verdad, Mateo, es muy juguetón.It's true, Mateo, he is very playful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ternero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ternero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
