diente de león
/ˌdjente de leˈon/masculine
The English word 'dandelion' is diente de león in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists diente leonés.
Meaning: plant, wild flower of the genus Taraxacum (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| diente de león | /ˌdjente de leˈon/ | masculine |
| diente leonés | /djente leones/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
diente de león refers to the plant or wild flower of the genus Taraxacum.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase diente de león literally translates to 'tooth of lion'.
Which one should you use?
diente de león is the standard name for the plant, whereas diente leonés is a much rarer, non-standard variation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, people typically use the term diente de león to refer to dandelions.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine, so it is used with the masculine article el.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌdjente de leˈon/
Did you know?
- In some rural areas, the phrase is replaced by sopla-sopla to describe the white seed head that children blow on to make wishes.
- While diente de león describes the jagged shape of the leaves, the English 'dandelion' actually comes from the French phrase 'dent de lion'.
- The Spanish phrase diente de león is a literal translation of the French 'dent-de-lion', both of which mirror the original Italian 'dente di leone'.
Examples in context
- El diente de león es amarillo.The dandelion is yellow.
- He visto un diente de león en el jardín.I saw a dandelion in the garden.
- Ese diente de león tiene muchas semillas.That dandelion has many seeds.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are walking through a park.
- ElenaMira ese diente de león, Javier.Look at that dandelion, Javier.
- JavierEs muy bonito, Elena.It is very pretty, Elena.
- Elena¿Quieres soplar el diente de león?Do you want to blow the dandelion?
- JavierSí, vamos a intentarlo.Yes, let's try it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dandelion” translations and entries diente de león, 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.
