carnívoro
/kaɾˈniboɾo/
The Spanish word for "carnivore" is carnívoro.
carnívoro is a noun used to describe a meat-eating animal.
Meaning: meat-eating animal (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, carnívora may be used to refer to a female carnivore.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of carnívoro is carnívoros. When used as an adjective, the word changes to carnívora to agree with a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaɾˈniboɾo/
Did you know?
- The root carne in carnívoro is shared with the English word 'carnival'. Both derive from the Latin word for 'flesh', as the 'carnival' was originally a 'farewell to meat' before the fasting period of Lent.
- While carnívoro is the technical term, a person with an insatiable appetite for food or power is described as voraz. This word shares the same Latin root for 'devouring' found in carnívoro.
- In Spanish, the word carne refers to both 'meat' and 'flesh'. This means carnívoro literally describes an entity that devours flesh, regardless of whether it is food or biological tissue.
Examples in context
- Los tigres son animales carnívoros que se alimentan principalmente de carne.Tigers are carnivorous animals that primarily feed on meat.
- A Juan le encanta comer carne. Es realmente carnívoro.Juan loves eating meat. He's really carnivorous.
- El león es un animal carnívoro.The lion is a carnivorous animal.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are looking at animals in a textbook.
- MateoMira este tigre, es un carnívoro.Look at this tiger, it's a carnivore.
- SofíaSí, come mucha carne.Yes, it eats a lot of meat.
- Mateo¿Sabes de otro carnívoro?Do you know another carnivore?
- SofíaEl lobo también es uno.The wolf is also one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “carnivore” translations and entries carnívoro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
