escarabajo de mayo
/eskaɾabaxo de maʝo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "June bug" is translated into Spanish as escarabajo de mayo.
The term refers to the beetle known scientifically as Phyllophaga.
Meaning: Phyllophaga (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/eskaɾabaxo de maʝo/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, escarabajo is used colloquially to describe a Volkswagen Beetle car.
- The word escarabajo is a cognate of the English word 'scarab', which refers to the sacred beetles of ancient Egypt.
- The word escarabajo contains the suffix -ajo, which in Spanish is often used to create words with a pejorative or belittling tone.
Examples in context
- Vi un escarabajo de mayo en el jardín.I saw a june bug in the garden.
- El escarabajo de mayo voló hacia la luz.The june bug flew toward the light.
- Cuidado, un escarabajo de mayo está en la mesa.Watch out, a june bug is on the table.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are standing on a porch at night.
- JavierSofía, mira este escarabajo de mayo.Sofía, look at this june bug.
- SofíaEs muy grande, Javier.It is very big, Javier.
- JavierNo lo toques, es muy fuerte.Don't touch it, it is very strong.
- SofíaEstá bien, solo lo miraré.That's fine, I will just look at it.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, escarabajo, mayo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
