How to Say "Buffalo" in Spanish

búfalo

/ˈbufalo/masculine

The English word 'buffalo' is translated into Spanish as búfalo.

búfalo refers to a bovid of the Bubalina subtribe.

Meaning: bovid of the Bubalina subtribe (noun)

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Mexico, the word bisonte is sometimes used to refer to a buffalo.

The plural form of búfalo is búfalos.

The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbufalo/.

While búfalo describes the animal, the Spanish word for 'buffalo wings' in restaurants is usually alitas de búfalo, adopting the American culinary term.
The word búfalo is borrowed from the Late Latin 'bufalus', which came from the Ancient Greek word 'boúbalos' meaning 'antelope' or 'wild ox'.
The term búfalo is often used in Spanish literature to symbolize raw strength or stubbornness, similar to how 'bull' is used in English.

¿Es esto una vaca o un búfalo?
Is that a cow or a buffalo?
This sentence is useful for distinguishing between a cow and a búfalo.
Tatoeba #1667996 by termito2nd, translation #67077 by CK
Se hicieron herramientas con huesos de búfalo.
Buffalo bones were made into tools.
This sentence shows how bones from a búfalo can be used to make tools.
Tatoeba #2056223 by lazarus1907, translation #807210 by Source_VOA
Los búfalos de Búfalo intimidados por búfalos de Búfalo intimidan a búfalos de Búfalo.
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
This sentence demonstrates a wordplay involving the word búfalo.
Tatoeba #4484220 by cueyayotl, translation #691476 by shekitten
El búfalo es un mamífero de gran tamaño originario de América del Norte.
The buffalo is a large mammal native to North America.

A man and a woman are looking at a nature documentary on TV.

Sources

Wiktionary, “buffalo” translations and entries búfalo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries búfalo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏