ratel
/raˈtel/masculine
The English phrase 'honey badger' is ratel in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists tejón de miel and tasugo melero.
Meaning: Mellivora capensis (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ratel | /raˈtel/ | masculine |
| tejón de miel | /teˌxon de ˈmjel/ | masculine |
| tasugo melero | /tasuɡo meleɾo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| tajugo mielero | /taxuɡo mjeleɾo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| melandro melifluo | /melandɾo meliflwo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
In Spanish, several terms can be used to refer to the animal known as the honey badger (Mellivora capensis).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tejón de miel is a literal translation where tejón means badger and de miel means of honey.
Which one should you use?
While ratel is a more technical or scientific term for the animal, tejón de miel serves as the common descriptive name. Other variations include tasugo melero, tajugo mielero and melandro melifluo.
How does it change in a sentence?
To pluralize the phrase tejón de miel to mean 'honey badgers', you only change the noun to tejones. The de miel part remains unchanged.
How do you pronounce it?
/raˈtel/
Did you know?
- The term melandro melifluo uses a highly poetic adjective that means 'flowing like honey', rather than just the word for 'honey'.
- The common name tejón de miel is built using an augmentative suffix, -ón, which makes the word tejón literally mean a 'large tile'.
- The suffix -ero in mielero is a common way in Spanish to turn a noun into a word describing someone or something that possesses or works with that object.
Examples in context
- Observemos este ratel, una criatura maravillosa de África.Let's observe this ratel, a wonderful creature from Africa.
- Hoy en el documental aprendí sobre el tejón de la miel, es sorprendente.Today in the documentary I learned about the honey badger, it is amazing.
- El ratel vive en África.The honey badger lives in Africa.
- He visto un ratel en un documental.I have seen a honey badger in a documentary.
- El ratel es un animal muy valiente.The honey badger is a very brave animal.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are at the zoo.
- SofíaMira, Alejandro, aquel es un ratel.Look, Alejandro, that is a honey badger.
- AlejandroEs más pequeño de lo que pensaba.It is smaller than I thought.
- SofíaSí, pero el ratel es muy agresivo.Yes, but the honey badger is very aggressive.
- AlejandroEs increíble que sea tan valiente.It is incredible that it is so brave.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “honey badger” translations and entries ratel, tejón de miel, 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 de, miel, mielero, tasugo, tejón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
