toro bravo
/toɾo bɾabo/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "brave bull" is toro bravo.
toro bravo refers to a specific breed of bull used in bullfighting. While bravo can mean "brave" in many general contexts, when used to describe livestock, it specifically refers to the animal's ferocity or wild nature.
What does it mean word for word?
toro means "bull" and bravo means "brave" or "wild".
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural "brave bulls", you must change both the noun and the adjective to their plural forms: toros bravos.
How do you pronounce it?
/toɾo bɾabo/
Did you know?
- The word bravo may have distant roots in the Greek word bárbaros, which was used to describe those who did not speak Greek. This suggests a historical linguistic connection between being 'wild' and being 'foreign'.
- While bravo usually means 'brave' in English, in Spanish, describing a person as bravo can actually mean they are 'fierce', 'angry', or 'difficult' to deal with rather than just courageous.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, calling someone a toro bravo can be a way to describe a person with a very strong, imposing, or stubborn character.
Examples in context
- El toro valiente es un símbolo de coraje en la cultura española.The brave bull is a symbol of courage in Spanish culture.
- Ese toro bravo es muy impresionante.That brave bull is very impressive.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are visiting a ranch in Spain.
- Javier¿Qué es aquel animal, Sofía?What is that animal, Sofía?
- SofíaEs un toro bravo, Javier.It is a fighting bull, Javier.
- JavierParece muy agresivo.He seems very aggressive.
- SofíaAsí es la naturaleza del toro bravo.That is the nature of the fighting bull.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bravo, toro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
