pato
/ˈpato/masculine
The English word duck is translated into Spanish as pato. Wiktionary also lists ánade and corco.
Meaning: aquatic bird of the family Anatidae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pato | /ˈpato/ | masculine |
| ánade | /ˈanade/ | feminine, masculine |
| corco | /koɾko/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| corío | /koɾio/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| parro | /paro/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| quetro | /ˈketɾo/ | masculine |
| carraco | /karako/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
The standard word for an aquatic bird of the family Anatidae is pato. This term is also used in culinary contexts to refer to duck meat. To refer to a little duck or a cute duckling, use the diminutive form patito.
Which one should you use?
While pato is the most common and general word used, several other terms exist for specific species or regions. ánade is a term that can be either masculine or feminine.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Other forms for duck include corco, corío, parro, quetro and carraco.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun pato becomes patos in the plural. The term ánade can be used as a feminine noun, in which case its plural is ánadas, though its standard plural is ánades.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpato/
Did you know?
- The traditional sport of pato is the national sport of Argentina, involving players on horseback trying to seize a leather ball.
- In several Latin American countries, the phrase pagar el pato means to take the blame for something you did not do.
- The Spanish word pato is borrowed from Andalusian Arabic, which in turn comes from the Persian word bat.
Examples in context
- Luce como un pato.It looks like a duck.This sentence is useful for describing appearances using pato.Tatoeba #1230816 by marcelostockle, translation #67766 by CK
- Una vez maté un pato.I killed a duck once.This sentence is useful for describing past actions involving pato.Tatoeba #4554726 by swyter, translation #2374698 by CK
- "Cuac, cuac," dijo el pato."Quack, quack," said the duck.This sentence is useful for illustrating the sound of a pato.Tatoeba #4515122 by cueyayotl, translation #2214169 by Hybrid
- El pato es un ave acuáticaThe duck is a waterbird
- ¡Mira qué patito tan lindo!Look at that cute little duckling!
- En el lago hay varios patos nadandoThere are several ducks swimming in the lake
- El estudio de los patos está relacionado con la ornitologíaThe study of ducks is related to ornithology
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are walking through a public park.
- Mateo¡Mira, Lucía! Hay un pato allí.Look, Lucía! There is a duck there.
- LucíaEs un pato muy bonito, Mateo.It is a very pretty duck, Mateo.
- Mateo¿Quieres darle un poco de pan?Do you want to give it some bread?
- LucíaNo, creo que es mejor no hacerlo.No, I think it is better not to.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “duck” translations and entries pato, ánade, quetro, 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 pato, ánade, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
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