piquero de patas azules
/pikeɾo de patas aθules/from spelling rules
In Spanish, blue footed booby is piquero de patas azules.
The phrase refers to the species of marine bird found in the Pacific Ocean, known for its bright blue webbed feet.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of piquero (booby), de (of), patas (feet) and azules (blue).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, you may hear Piquero patiazul and in certain other regions, the term Piquero de patas celestes is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to multiple birds, change the first noun to its plural form: piqueros de patas azules.
How do you pronounce it?
/pikeɾo de patas aθules/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may mistakenly use pícaro de patas azules. However, pícaro means rogue or rascal, whereas the bird name is piquero.
Did you know?
- Spanish has different words for 'feet' depending on the animal. Patas is used for the booby because it refers to the legs and feet of animals, whereas pies is used for humans.
- The word piquero comes from picar, which means 'to peck' or 'to sting'. This describes the way the bird dives steeply and strikes the water with its beak.
- The suffix -ero in piquero is used to denote a person or thing that performs a specific action, similar to how it is used in panadero for a baker.
Examples in context
- ¡Mira! Un alcatraz de patas azules está volando sobre el agua.Look! A blue-footed booby is flying over the water.
- El piquero de patas azules es muy hermoso.The blue footed booby is very beautiful.
- Vi un piquero de patas azules en la costa.I saw a blue footed booby on the coast.
- Ese piquero de patas azules tiene un color intenso.That blue footed booby has an intense color.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are looking at a bird guidebook at the beach.
- Alejandro¿Es este un piquero de patas azules?Is this a blue footed booby?
- MaríaSí, Alejandro, es un piquero de patas azules.Yes, Alejandro, it is a blue footed booby.
- AlejandroSus patas son realmente increíbles.Its feet are truly incredible.
- MaríaEs una especie muy especial de la región.It is a very special species of the region.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, piquero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
