oso
/ˈoso/masculine
The Spanish word for bear is oso.
The term oso refers to the large mammal of the family Ursidae. To specify a bear cub, use osezno, while osito is used for a little bear or a teddy bear. The word panda is used in Spanish-speaking regions to refer to the black and white bear. Additionally, oso can be used as a slang term for a large, hairy man.
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In certain contexts, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community, oso is used as a slang term for a large, hairy man.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is oso and its plural is osos. If you are referring to a female bear, use the feminine form osa, which has the plural form osas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈoso/
Did you know?
- In Mexico, the phrase qué oso does not refer to an animal, but is a common way to say 'how embarrassing' or 'how cringeworthy'.
- The Spanish term oso perezoso refers to the sloth, literally translating to 'lazy bear', despite sloths not being bears.
- In the context of heraldry and coats of arms in Spain, the oso is a recurring symbol, most famously appearing in the emblem of the city of Madrid.
Examples in context
- Un oso lo mató.A bear killed him.This sentence is useful for describing an encounter with an oso.Tatoeba #6864196 by albrusgher, translation #5937697 by mailohilohi
- ¿Es eso un oso?Is that a bear?This sentence is useful for asking if something is an oso.Tatoeba #6864206 by albrusgher, translation #6005628 by mailohilohi
- El oso es negro.The bear is black.This sentence is useful for describing the color of an oso.Tatoeba #6864195 by albrusgher, translation #5894557 by captcrouton
- El oso polar vive en el Polo Norte.The polar bear lives in the North Pole.
- El oso pardo es nativo de la región montañosa.The brown bear is native to the mountainous regions.
- Debemos proteger al oso de la extinción.We must protect the bear from extinction.
- 70 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are visiting a zoo.
- Sofía¡Mira aquel oso tan grande!Look at that huge bear!
- DanielParece que tiene mucha hambre.It looks like he is very hungry.
- SofíaEs el oso más lindo del zoológico.It's the cutest bear in the zoo.
- DanielTienes razón, Sofía.You are right, Sofia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations and entries oso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
