koala
/koˈala/masculine
The Spanish word for koala is koala.
The word koala is used to refer to the tree-dwelling marsupial that resembles a small bear.
Meaning: a tree-dwelling marsupial that resembles a small bear (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, you add -s to the end of the word, resulting in los koalas.
How do you pronounce it?
/koˈala/
Did you know?
- The word koala is one of the few words in Spanish that retains the letter 'k', which is rare and usually reserved for words borrowed from other languages.
- The word koala entered the Spanish language as a loanword from English, which had originally borrowed the term from the Dharug language of Australia.
- While the letter k is rare in Spanish, koala is often spelled coala in older texts or by speakers who instinctively apply Spanish phonetics to the loanword.
Examples in context
- Le hizo una foto al koala.He took a picture of the koala.This sentence shows how to use koala when someone takes a picture of the animal.Tatoeba #858397 by Rafp, translation #289802 by CK
- ¿Has visto alguna vez un koala?Have you ever seen a koala?This sentence uses koala to ask if someone has seen the animal before.Tatoeba #524677 by Shishir, translation #520129 by kebukebu
- Los osos Koala huelen como eucalipto.Koala bears smell like eucalyptus.This sentence uses koala to describe how the animals smell like eucalyptus.Tatoeba #6864259 by albrusgher, translation #3371365 by mhattick
- El zoológico tiene una exhibición de varios animales exóticos, incluyendo el koala.The zoo has an exhibit of various exotic animals, including the koala.
- Australia es famosa por su fauna única, como el oso koala.Australia is famous for its unique fauna, such as the koala bear.
- Me fascinan los marsupiales australianos, como el marsupial australiano más conocido, el koala.I am fascinated by Australian marsupials, such as the most well-known Australian marsupial, the koala.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- MaríaMira ese koala, Daniel.Look at that koala, Daniel.
- DanielEs muy tierno.He is very cute.
- María¿Crees que se despertará pronto?Do you think he will wake up soon?
- DanielNo, parece que va a dormir todo el día.No, it looks like he is going to sleep all day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “koala” translations and entries koala, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries koala, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
