periquito
/peɾiˈkito/masculine
The English word budgerigar is translated into Spanish as periquito.
periquito is used to refer to the species of parakeet known as the budgerigar.
Meaning: species of parakeet (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the term Periquito australiano is used to refer to budgerigars.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾiˈkito/
Did you know?
- In Colombia and Venezuela, perico refers to a traditional breakfast dish of scrambled eggs with onions and tomatoes, completely unrelated to the bird.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone a perico is not an insult about a bird, but a slang term for a person who is a drug addict, specifically a cocaine user.
- While periquito is the standard term, calling someone a periquito in some contexts can imply they are a chatterbox or someone who repeats everything they hear.
Examples in context
- Mi perico siempre canta de manera muy alegre.My budgerigar always sings very cheerfully.
- El periquito es de color verde.The budgerigar is green.
- Ese periquito canta por la mañana.That budgerigar sings in the morning.
Example conversation
At a pet shop.
- Sofía¿Cuánto cuesta ese periquito azul?How much does that blue budgerigar cost?
- MateoEse periquito cuesta veinte euros.That budgerigar costs twenty euros.
- SofíaEs un periquito muy bonito.It is a very pretty budgerigar.
- MateoSí, es un ejemplar muy sano.Yes, it is a very healthy specimen.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “budgerigar” translations and entries periquito, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
