jirafa
/xiˈɾafa/feminine
The English word giraffe is translated into Spanish as jirafa.
The word refers to the long-necked mammal.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
jirafa is a feminine noun. Because of this, when you want to say "the giraffe", you must use the feminine article la to form la jirafa. The plural form of jirafa is jirafas.
How do you pronounce it?
/xiˈɾafa/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, jirafa can be used colloquially to describe a very tall person.
- The Spanish jirafa entered the language via Italian, but both languages originally borrowed the term from the Arabic word zurāfa.
- In Spanish, the word jirafa is always feminine, regardless of whether the animal is male or female.
Examples in context
- La jirafa está durmiendo.The giraffe is sleeping.This sentence shows the subject jirafa performing an action.Tatoeba #9003945 by Shishir, translation #8546491 by Amastan
- ¿Qué sonido hace una jirafa?What sound does a giraffe make?This sentence uses jirafa in a question about the animal's sounds.Tatoeba #5824476 by albrusgher, translation #2921563 by CK
- No he visto nunca una jirafa.I've never seen a giraffe.This sentence illustrates the use of jirafa when discussing sight or experience.Tatoeba #1457236 by Shishir, translation #1455348 by CK
- El zoológico tiene varias jirafas en exhibición.The zoo has several giraffes on display.
- El safari africano de la reserva natural es famoso por sus jirafas majestuosas.The African safari in the nature reserve is famous for its majestic giraffes.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are visiting the zoo.
- Sofía¡Mira esa jirafa!Look at that giraffe!
- MateoEs muy alta, Sofía.It is very tall, Sofia.
- Sofía¿Viste su cuello largo?Did you see its long neck?
- MateoSí, es impresionante.Yes, it is impressive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “giraffe” translations and entries jirafa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jirafa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
