caca de pájaro
/kaka de paxaɾo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, bird poop is caca de pájaro.
The phrase refers to the waste matter excreted by a bird.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase caca de pájaro is composed of caca (poop) and de pájaro (of bird).
Which one should you use?
excremento de ave is used for a more formal or scientific context. Cagada de pájaro is a common colloquial way to refer to bird droppings, and mierda de pájaro is a much more vulgar and aggressive way to say bird shit.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Excremento de ave is the formal or scientific way to refer to bird excrement. Caca de pájaro is an informal way to say bird poop. For a more vulgar or aggressive tone, you can use mierda de pájaro. Cagada de pájaro is considered colloquial.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you can also refer to bird poop as popó de pájaro.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaka de paxaɾo/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, having a bird poop on you is considered a sign of good luck, similar to the belief regarding 'luck' in English.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, saying you made a cagada does not mean you went to the bathroom, but rather that you made a massive mistake or a 'screw up'.
- The everyday word for bird, pájaro, is actually a linguistic evolution of the specific Latin word for a 'sparrow'.
Examples in context
- El parque está lleno de excremento de ave.The park is full of bird poop.
- ¡Cuidado con la caca de pájaro cuando pases por debajo de los árboles!Watch out for the bird poop when you pass under the trees!
- ¡Pisaste mierda de pájaro! Tenemos que limpiarlo rápidamente.You stepped in bird shit! We have to clean it up quickly.
- Hay mucha caca de pájaro en el coche.There is a lot of bird poop on the car.
- Limpia esa caca de pájaro del banco.Clean that bird poop off the bench.
- Cuidado, hay caca de pájaro en el suelo.Watch out, there is bird poop on the ground.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are walking in a park.
- Daniel¡Mira, Lucía, hay caca de pájaro en tu zapato!Look, Lucía, there is bird poop on your shoe!
- Lucía¡Qué asco! Gracias por avisarme, Daniel.How gross! Thanks for letting me know, Daniel.
- Daniel¿Quieres que te ayude a limpiarla?Do you want me to help you clean it?
- LucíaNo, no hace falta, puedo hacerlo yo.No, it's not necessary, I can do it myself.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caca, de, pájaro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
