hipopótamo
/ipoˈpotamo/
The Spanish word for hippo is hipopótamo.
hipopótamo refers to the large, semi-aquatic mammal from Africa known for its grey skin and wide mouth.
How do you pronounce it?
/ipoˈpotamo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget the accent on the second 'o' and say hipopotamo instead of the correct hipopótamo.
Did you know?
- If you were to say hipo in Spanish, you would not be talking about the animal, but rather describing a 'hiccup'.
- The word hipopótamo is a direct linguistic descendant of the Ancient Greek term ἱπποπόταμος, which literally means 'river horse'.
- The Spanish word for 'hippopotamus' shares the same Greek root as 'hippie', which comes from 'hippos' meaning 'horse'.
Examples in context
- Un hipopótamo feliz está nadando en el lago.A happy hippo is swimming in the lake.This sentence shows the use of hipopótamo in a simple description.Tatoeba #11504853 by carlosalberto, translation #11504847 by carlosalberto
- En el zoológico, vi un enorme hipopótamo.At the zoo, I saw a huge hippo.
- El hipopótamo común es nativo de África.The common hippo is native to Africa.
- El hipopótamo tiene la piel muy gruesa.The hippo has very thick skin.
- Vimos un hipopótamo grande en el zoológico.We saw a large hippo at the zoo.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are looking at a nature documentary on TV.
- Mateo¿Te gusta ese hipopótamo?Do you like that hippo?
- SofíaSí, es un animal muy impresionante.Yes, it is a very impressive animal.
- MateoParece que está muy cómodo en el agua.He looks very comfortable in the water.
- SofíaEs cierto, los hipopótamos aman el agua.It's true, hippos love the water.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hipopótamo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hipopótamo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
