cangrejo ermitaño
/kanɡɾexo eɾmitaɲo/from spelling rulesmasculine
The English phrase 'hermit crab' is cangrejo ermitaño in Spanish.
The term refers to the crustacean known as a hermit crab.
Meaning: crustacean (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of cangrejo (crab) and ermitaño (hermit).
How do you pronounce it?
/kanɡɾexo eɾmitaɲo/
Did you know?
- While cangrejo is the common term, its root is the same as the Latin word cancer, which is also the origin of the English word 'cancer'.
- Because ermitaño refers to a person living in isolation, the phrase 'cangrejo ermitaño' personifies the animal as a religious recluse.
- The word ermita refers to a small chapel or shrine, and ermitaño is the person associated with such a place.
Examples in context
- Me gusta estudiar sobre los cangrejos ermitaños.I enjoy studying hermit crabs.
- ¡Mira ese cangrejito ermitaño, qué gracioso!Look at that little hermit crab, how cute!
- El cangrejo ermitaño vive en una concha vacía.The hermit crab lives in an empty shell.
- Vi un cangrejo ermitaño en la playa.I saw a hermit crab on the beach.
- El cangrejo ermitaño vive en una concha.The hermit crab lives in a shell.
- Ese cangrejo ermitaño es muy pequeño.That hermit crab is very small.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are walking along the beach.
- MaríaDaniel, mira este cangrejo ermitaño.Daniel, look at this hermit crab.
- DanielEs muy pequeño y se mueve rápido.It is very small and moves quickly.
- María¿Viste dónde está su concha?Did you see where its shell is?
- DanielSí, el cangrejo ermitaño está dentro de ella.Yes, the hermit crab is inside of it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hermit crab” translations and entries cangrejo ermitaño, 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 cangrejo, ermitaño, CC BY-SA 4.0.
