chihuahua
/t͡ʃiˈwawa/masculine
The English phrase 'chihuahua' refers to a breed of dog, which in Spanish is chihuahua. Wiktionary also lists chihuahueño.
Meaning: breed of dog (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| chihuahua | /t͡ʃiˈwawa/ | masculine |
| chihuahueño | /t͡ʃiwaˈweɲo/ | masculine |
The term refers to the specific breed of small dog. Note that when referring to the capital city or the state in Mexico, the word is capitalized as Chihuahua.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Spain, the breed may be referred to as chihuahueño.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word chihuahua is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃiˈwawa/
Did you know?
- Despite the dog's tiny size, the state of Chihuahua is the largest state in Mexico by land area.
- Some linguists believe the word chihuahua is an onomatopoeia from an indigenous language meant to mimic the sound of a dog barking.
- The word chihuahua comes from the name of the state, but the origin of the name Chihuahua itself is debated between a meaning of 'gum' and 'place of dogs' in indigenous languages.
Examples in context
- Ese es el chihuahua de mi mamá.That's my mom's chihuahua.This sentence is useful for identifying the chihuahua belonging to someone's mother.Tatoeba #1612638 by marcelostockle, translation #1611165 by Spamster
- Me encanta mi Chihuahua, es tan cariñosoI love my Chihuahua, he's so affectionate
- El chihuahua es muy pequeño.The chihuahua is very small.
- Mi vecino tiene un chihuahua.My neighbor has a chihuahua.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are walking in a park.
- Sofía¿Viste ese chihuahua blanco?Did you see that white chihuahua?
- MateoSí, es muy bonito.Yes, it is very pretty.
- SofíaParece ser muy juguetón.It seems to be very playful.
- MateoLos perros así son divertidos.Dogs like that are fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chihuahua” translations and entries chihuahua, chihuahueño, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
