el cerdo
/el θeɾdo/from spelling rules
el cerdo is the Spanish way to say the pig.
While el cerdo refers to the animal, it is also frequently used as a derogatory term for a person, similar to calling someone a 'pig' in English.
Which one should you use?
In many Spanish-speaking regions, el cerdo refers to the animal, but el puerco is often used as a more colloquial or slightly more vulgar synonym for the same animal or for a person.
Is it said differently in some regions?
el chancho is the preferred informal term in some Latin American countries, like Argentina and Uruguay.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of the noun is la cerda.
How do you pronounce it?
/el θeɾdo/
Did you know?
- The word chancho, used in the Southern Cone, is thought by some linguists to be derived from the Quechua language, showing the indigenous influence on Spanish animal names in those regions.
- The word cerdo shares a linguistic root with the word cerda, which in Spanish refers to a single bristle or a hair from a pig's skin.
- The term la cerda is the feminine form of the noun, but it can also be used as a highly offensive slur for a woman.
Examples in context
- El cerdo está en el lodo.The pig is in the mud.
- El cerdo come mucha comida.The pig eats a lot of food.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are looking at animals on a farm.
- Alejandro¿Viste al cerdo pequeño?Did you see the little pig?
- LucíaSí, el cerdo es muy rosa.Yes, the pig is very pink.
- AlejandroEs muy tierno.It is very cute.
- LucíaMe gusta mucho ese animal.I like that animal a lot.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cerdo, el, CC BY-SA 4.0.
