porrista
/poˈrista/feminine
The Spanish word for cheerleader is porrista or animadora.
Meaning: person (usually female) who encourages applause (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| porrista | /poˈrista/ | feminine |
| animadora | /animaˈdoɾa/ | feminine |
Both words refer to a person, usually female, who encourages applause.
Which one should you use?
Animadora is often used in more formal or neutral contexts across the Spanish-speaking world.
How does it change in a sentence?
While the feminine forms are the focus, porrista can also be used as a masculine noun (el porrista) to refer to a male cheerleader. The plural of porrista is porristas, and the plural of animadora is animadoras.
How do you pronounce it?
/poˈrista/
Did you know?
- The word porrista is derived from porra, which in various Spanish-speaking regions can refer to a club, a heavy stick or even a betting pool.
- Because animadora is a general term for 'an encourager', it can also refer to a radio or television host, a 'personality' who keeps the audience engaged.
- In some Latin American countries, the word animación refers to the act of keeping a party energetic through music and jokes, making an animadora a party entertainer.
Examples in context
- No puedo creer que tú fueras porrista.I can't believe that you were a cheerleader.This sentence expresses disbelief about someone being a porrista.Tatoeba #1305108 by marcelostockle, translation #953375 by CK
- ¿Crees que Mary es demasiado gorda para ser animadora?Do you think Mary is too fat to be a cheerleader?This sentence asks if Mary is fit enough to be an animadora.Tatoeba #1268440 by Shishir, translation #1030148 by CK
- Ann es animadora.Ann is a cheerleader.This sentence identifies Ann as an animadora.Tatoeba #1017107 by Shishir, translation #66859 by CN
- La líder de animadoras dio un discurso motivador en el juego de fútbol.The cheerleading leader gave a motivational speech at the soccer game.
- Las animadoras representarán a la escuela en el próximo torneo.The cheerleaders will represent the school in the upcoming tournament.
- Necesitamos una buena porrista para animar al equipo durante la competencia.We need a good cheerleader to cheer on the team during the competition.
- ¿Ya están los animadores?Are the cheerleaders ready?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are talking about her high school activities.
- JavierMaría, ¿fuiste porrista en la escuela?María, were you a cheerleader in school?
- MaríaSí, fui porrista por dos años.Yes, I was a cheerleader for two years.
- Javier¡Qué increíble! ¿Te gustaba bailar?That's amazing! Did you like dancing?
- MaríaMe encantaba, era mi parte favorita.I loved it, it was my favorite part.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheerleader” translations and entries porrista, animadora, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries porrista, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
