Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| parto | /ˈpaɾto/ | masculine |
| alumbramiento | /alumbɾaˈmjento/ | masculine |
| parición | /paɾiθjon/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /paɾisjon/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
The term refers to the instance of childbirth. While parto specifically describes the physiological process of giving birth, you might also use the idiomatic phrase dar a luz to mean the verb 'to give birth'.
Which one should you use?
Use parto to describe the common physiological process of childbirth. For more technical or formal medical contexts, such as the delivery of the placenta or the birth itself, alumbramiento is used. In agricultural settings, parición is used to refer to the birth of livestock.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Parición is used in specific regional dialects and is typically used in agricultural contexts to refer to the birth of livestock.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun parto requires the definite article el.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpaɾto/
Did you know?
- The formal term alumbramiento comes from the verb alumbrar, which is the same verb used to mean 'to light up' or 'to illuminate'.
- In Spanish, using the word parición to describe a human birth is considered highly inappropriate or dehumanizing because it is reserved for livestock.
- While parto refers to the physical act of birth, the word for 'birthday' is cumpleaños, which literally means 'completion of years'.
Examples in context
- El parto salió perfecto.The birth went perfectly.This sentence shows how to describe the outcome of the birth using parto.Tatoeba #6683922 by arh, translation #12408194 by DJ_Saidez
- El parto es inminente. Ha roto aguas.The birth is imminent. The water broke.This sentence describes an imminent parto and the breaking of water.Tatoeba #1507717 by wallebot, translation #9292707 by Nylez
- Los bebés son granos de polvo estelar que sale por la mano de Dios. Feliz de la mujer que conoce el dolor del parto porque ella albergó una estrella.Babies are bits of star-dust blown from the hand of God. Lucky the woman who knows the pangs of birth, for she has held a star.This sentence uses parto in a poetic context regarding the pains of childbirth.Tatoeba #3525870 by carlosalberto, translation #3525837 by carlosalberto
- El nacimiento de un niño es motivo de alegría para toda la familia.The birth of a child is a cause for joy for the entire family.
- La madre se está preparando para el parto.The mother is preparing for giving birth.
- El nacer de un nuevo ser humano es un milagro de la vida.The birth of a new human being is a miracle of life.
- Hoy celebramos el día en que viniste al mundo. ¡Felicidades!Today we celebrate the day you came into the world. Congratulations!
Example conversation
Lucía is telling Mateo about her sister's experience in the hospital.
- LucíaMi hermana tuvo un parto muy rápido.My sister had a very fast birth.
- Mateo¡Qué bien! ¿Y el bebé está sano?That's great! And is the baby healthy?
- LucíaSí, todo salió bien durante el parto.Yes, everything went well during the birth.
- MateoMe alegro mucho por ella, Lucía.I am very happy for her, Lucía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “birth” translations and entries parto, alumbramiento, parición, 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 alumbramiento, parto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
