How to Say "Cocoon" in Spanish

capullo

/kaˈpuʝo/masculine

The English phrase cocoon is translated into Spanish as capullo.

capullo refers to the protective case spun by the larvae of some insects.

Meaning: protective case spun by the larvae of some insects (noun)

How do you pronounce it?

/kaˈpuʝo/

English speakers should be careful because capullo can also mean a flower bud, not just an insect cocoon.

In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone a capullo is a common, albeit slightly insulting, way to call them an 'idiot' or a 'fool'.
The anatomical shape of a capullo is linguistically related to the Latin word cucūllus, which refers to a small hood or cowl.
Spanish distinguishes between the capullo, which is the silk casing, and the crisálida, which is the pupa inside the cocoon.

Vi un capullo en el árbol.
I saw a cocoon on the tree.
This sentence shows how to describe seeing a capullo on a tree.
Tatoeba #6834126 by albrusgher, translation #4174839 by Lepotdeterre
La oruga ya había comenzado a hilar su capullo.
The caterpillar had already started spinning its cocoon.
This sentence describes a caterpillar spinning its capullo.
Tatoeba #13658247 by Seael, translation #13658634 by araneo
La Bombyx mori es una mariposa grande cuya oruga teje un capullo usado en la fabricación de seda.
The silk moth is a large moth whose caterpillar spins a cocoon used for silk production.
This sentence explains how a capullo made by the silk moth is used in silk production.
Tatoeba #5565358 by hayastan, translation #5998344 by Adelpa
Los capullos son estructuras que protegen a las larvas durante su proceso de metamorfosis.
Cocoons are structures that protect larvae during their metamorphosis process.
¡Mira ese capullito en el árbol! ¡Es una mariposa a punto de salir!
Look at that cocoon on the tree! It's a butterfly about to emerge!
Las orugas construyen capullos alrededor de ellas para transformarse en mariposas.
Caterpillars build cocoons around themselves to transform into butterflies.

Javier and María are walking in a garden.

Javier

¡Mira, María! Hay un capullo en esa hoja.
Look, María! There is a cocoon on that leaf.
María

Es muy pequeño, Javier.
It is very small, Javier.
Javier

Seguro que pronto saldrá una mariposa de este capullo.
A butterfly will surely come out of this cocoon soon.
María

Es una observación muy interesante.
That is a very interesting observation.

Sources

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

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