jamón
/xaˈmon/masculine
In Spanish, the English word ham is translated as jamón. Wiktionary also lists pernil and lunada.
Meaning: thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| jamón | /xaˈmon/ | masculine |
| pernil | /peɾˈnil/ | masculine |
| lunada | /luˈnada/ | masculine |
The term refers to the thigh and buttock of an animal slaughtered for meat. In a culinary context, jamón often refers specifically to cured or dry-cured ham, such as jamón ibérico.
Which one should you use?
jamón is the most common and general term for ham used across the Spanish-speaking world. The form pernil is also used to refer to a whole leg of pork or ham.
Is it said differently in some regions?
pernil is commonly used in many Latin American countries, particularly in the Caribbean, to refer to a whole leg of pork or ham.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
All three forms provided, pernil, jamón and lunada, are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/xaˈmon/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish contexts, the word jamón is used colloquially to describe a person with very muscular thighs or buttocks.
- In Spain, the act of carving jamón ibérico is a specialized skill performed by a professional known as a cortador.
- The Spanish word jamón is actually a linguistic relative of the English word 'gammon', as both derive from the same root for 'leg'.
Examples in context
- El jamón tiene sal.The ham is salty.This sentence is useful for describing the saltiness of the jamón.Tatoeba #6669484 by arh, translation #7795983 by sharris123
- Tom loncheó el jamón.Tom sliced the ham.This sentence is useful for describing the action of slicing jamón.Tatoeba #2711486 by caiser, translation #2548550 by CK
- Come un poco de jamón.Have some ham.This sentence is useful for offering someone some jamón.Tatoeba #1593898 by marcelostockle, translation #1283284 by Scott
- Me gustaría pedir un sándwich de jamónI would like to order a ham sandwich
- Me gustaría probar el jamón ibéricoI would like to try Iberian ham
- Voy a preparar una pierna de cerdo asadaI'm going to cook a roasted ham
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are preparing a dinner platter.
- SofíaNecesitamos comprar un jamón para la cena.We need to buy a ham for the dinner.
- JavierYo prefiero el jamón serrano, Sofía.I prefer serrano ham, Sofía.
- Sofía¿Está muy caro el jamón hoy?Is the ham very expensive today?
- JavierNo, el precio del jamón es normal.No, the price of the ham is normal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ham” translations and entries jamón, pernil, lunada, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jamón, pernil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
