vaca lechera
/baka let͡ʃeɾa/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase "dairy cow" is translated into Spanish as vaca lechera.
This noun refers to a cow that is bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk.
Meaning: cow bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of vaca (cow) and the adjective lechera, which is derived from leche (milk) and means "milk-producing" or "milking".
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, both the noun and the adjective must take the plural suffix -s, resulting in vacas lecheras.
Did you know?
- The word lechera is also a common slang term for a police van in Spain.
- The term vaca is used in the Spanish idiom hacer una vaca, which means to pool money together for a shared expense.
- In many Spanish dialects, the word leche is used as an exclamation to express surprise or even annoyance, similar to saying 'Goodness!' or 'Damn!' in English.
Examples in context
- Esa vaca lechera produce mucha leche.That dairy cow produces a lot of milk.
- Necesitamos comprar una vaca lechera.We need to buy a dairy cow.
- La vaca lechera está en el establo.The dairy cow is in the stable.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are looking at a farm.
- Sofía¿Es esa una vaca lechera?Is that a dairy cow?
- MateoSí, es una vaca lechera muy buena.Yes, it is a very good dairy cow.
- SofíaMateo, mira qué grande es.Mateo, look how big she is.
- MateoEs ideal para nuestro negocio.She is ideal for our business.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dairy cow” translations and entries vaca lechera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lechera, vaca, CC BY-SA 4.0.
