toro de oro
/toɾo de oɾo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'golden bull' is translated into Spanish as toro de oro.
This phrase refers to a bull made of gold.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of toro (bull), de (of) and oro (gold).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses a prepositional construction (de oro) to express the material, rather than an adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
/toɾo de oɾo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
The appropriate Spanish translation for golden calf is becerro de oro.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word toro can actually refer to a 'cushion' or a 'bulge' rather than just the animal. This happens because it shares a history with the Latin word torus, which describes a swelling or a rounded shape.
- The Spanish word oro is a distant relative of the English word 'aurum', which is the Latin name for gold and the reason for its symbol Au on the periodic table.
- In Spanish, if you want to describe something that is simply gold-colored or gilded rather than made of solid gold, you would use the word dorado instead of de oro.
Examples in context
- El museo tiene un toro de oro.The museum has a golden bull.
- Ese toro de oro es muy brillante.That golden bull is very shiny.
- Ella compró un pequeño toro de oro.She bought a small golden bull.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are looking at an ancient artifact in a museum.
- Alejandro¿Es aquel un toro de oro?Is that a golden bull?
- MaríaSí, es un toro de oro auténtico.Yes, it is an authentic golden bull.
- AlejandroEs impresionante ver un toro de oro.It is impressive to see a golden bull.
- MaríaEs una pieza muy valiosa.It is a very valuable piece.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, oro, toro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
