cuerpo
/ˈkweɾpo/masculine
The Spanish word for body is cuerpo.
cuerpo refers to the physical structure of a human or an animal. When discussing one's own body parts in a general sense, Spanish speakers often use the definite article el instead of possessive adjectives. Related to this is the adjective corporal, which means bodily or corporal.
Meaning: physical structure of a human or animal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
cuerpo is a masculine noun. Its plural form is cuerpos.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkweɾpo/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word cuerpo shares an ancient root with the English word 'corpse', though in modern English 'corpse' refers only to a dead body while cuerpo is used for the living.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you call someone 'cuerpo de delito', you aren't talking about a person, but rather the 'corpus delicti' or the evidence that proves a crime was committed.
- In a culinary context, 'cuerpo' can describe the 'body' or weight of a wine, referring to how full or heavy it feels in the mouth.
Examples in context
- Le dolía el cuerpo.His body ached.This example shows how to use cuerpo to describe physical pain.Tatoeba #13009328 by Eremon, translation #2568706 by Hybrid
- Le hirieron el cuerpo.He was wounded in the body.This example shows how to describe being wounded in the cuerpo.Tatoeba #1451767 by marcelostockle, translation #302058 by Zifre
- Tu cuerpo dice que sí.Your body is saying yes.This example shows the use of cuerpo in a figurative sense regarding physical signals.Tatoeba #1713241 by marcelostockle, translation #1710928 by al_ex_an_der
- El cuerpo humano está compuesto por múltiples sistemasThe human body is composed of multiple systems
- ¡Qué lindo cuerpecito tienes!What a cute little body you have!
- El yoga es beneficioso para el cuerpoYoga is beneficial for the body
- Quiero mejorar mi forma físicaI want to improve my physical fitness
- 181 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are talking about fitness at the gym.
- ElenaHacer ejercicio es bueno para el cuerpo.Exercising is good for the body.
- AlejandroTienes razón, me siento con más energía.You are right, I feel more energetic.
- ElenaAlejandro, ¿estás cuidando tu cuerpo?Alejandro, are you taking care of your body?
- AlejandroSí, Elena, trato de comer saludable.Yes, Elena, I try to eat healthily.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “body” translations and entries cuerpo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuerpo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
