oso
/ˈoso/masculine
The English word bear translates to Spanish as oso.
The word refers to a large mammal of the family Ursidae. In certain contexts, it can also function as slang.
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
Which one should you use?
While oso is the general term, more specific formal or scientific terms are used for certain species: oso pardo refers to a brown bear and oso de anteojos refers to a specific species of bear.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
When discussing specific species in formal or scientific contexts, use oso pardo for a brown bear or oso de anteojos for a species of bear.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word oso is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈoso/
Did you know?
- To say 'I made a fool of myself' in Mexican slang, one might say qué oso, which literally translates to 'what a bear'.
- Within the LGBTQ+ community in Spanish-speaking countries, oso is used to describe a larger, hairy man, mirroring the English 'bear' subculture.
- The Spanish word oso evolved from the Latin ursus, which is also the root of the English word 'ursa' used in astronomy for the bear constellations.
Examples in context
- Un oso lo mató.A bear killed him.This sentence demonstrates the use of oso in a context of danger.Tatoeba #6864196 by albrusgher, translation #5937697 by mailohilohi
- ¿Es eso un oso?Is that a bear?This sentence shows how to use oso when asking an identification question.Tatoeba #6864206 by albrusgher, translation #6005628 by mailohilohi
- El oso es negro.The bear is black.This sentence provides an example of using oso to describe a physical characteristic.Tatoeba #6864195 by albrusgher, translation #5894557 by captcrouton
- El oso es un animal increíble.The bear is an amazing animal.
- El oso pardo es originario de Europa y Norteamérica.The brown bear is native to Europe and North America.
- El oso negro es nativo de América del Norte.The black bear is native to North America.
- El oso pardo Cantábrico es una especie protegida.The Cantabrian brown bear is a protected species.
- 70 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- DanielMira, ese oso es enorme.Look, that bear is huge.
- María¡Qué miedo me da ese oso!That bear scares me!
- DanielNo te preocupes, estamos en casa.Don't worry, we are at home.
- MaríaEs verdad, pero sigue siendo impresionante.That's true, but it is still impressive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations and entries oso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
