pezuña
/peˈθuɲa/feminine
The English word 'hoof' can be translated into Spanish as pezuña or casco.
Meaning: tip of a toe of ungulates (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pezuña | /peˈθuɲa/ /peˈsuɲa/ |
feminine |
| casco | /ˈkasko/ | masculine |
Both terms refer to the hoof of ungulates, but they are used to describe different anatomical aspects of the foot.
Which one should you use?
pezuña is the anatomical term for the specific keratinous part of the foot, such as the nail or the claw itself. In contrast, casco refers to the entire hoof structure, including both the hard outer shell and the weight-bearing part of the foot.
How does it change in a sentence?
pezuña is a feminine noun, while casco is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/peˈθuɲa/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the word casco is used to refer to the 'city center' or 'old town' of a municipality.
- The word casco is also used in Spanish to mean a 'helmet' or the 'hull' of a ship. This is because both a helmet and a hoof act as a hard, protective outer shell.
- The word pezuña shares an ancestral root with the English word 'pedicure', as both trace back to the Latin 'pedis' for 'foot'.
Examples in context
- Los cascos del caballo estaban bien cuidados.The horse's hoofs were well-groomed.
- Vi un caballo con cuatro cascos.I saw a horse with four hoofs.
- La pezuña de la vaca es dura.The cow's hoof is hard.
- La pezuña del caballo está sucia.The horse's hoof is dirty.
- El cerdo tiene una pezuña pequeña.The pig has a small hoof.
- Vimos la pezuña de la cabra.We saw the goat's hoof.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are visiting a farm.
- MaríaDaniel, mira la pezuña de este cerdo.Daniel, look at this pig's hoof.
- DanielEs muy pequeña y dura.It is very small and hard.
- MaríaLa pezuña parece estar muy sucia.The hoof seems to be very dirty.
- DanielTípico de los animales de granja.Typical of farm animals.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hoof” translations and entries pezuña, casco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries casco, pezuña, CC BY-SA 4.0.
