ordeñar una vaca
/oɾdeɲaɾ una baka/from spelling rules
To milk a cow in Spanish is ordeñar una vaca.
The phrase refers to the act of extracting milk from a cow, whether you are doing so by hand or by using a machine. While ordeñar una vaca is common, you may also encounter extraer la leche de una vaca in rural or agricultural environments and the more formal expression extraer leche de una vaca.
Which one should you use?
Replacing the indefinite article una (a) with the definite article la (the) changes the phrase from 'milk a cow' to 'milk the cow' (ordeñar la vaca).
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the first person singular in the preterite past tense (to say 'I milked a cow'), the verb changes to ordeñé una vaca.
Did you know?
- In some regions, ordeñar is used as a slang term for stealing or illegally obtaining money from someone.
- The verb ordeñar is a linguistic doublet of ordenar, which means 'to order' or 'to arrange'. Both words share a common ancestor in the Latin word for putting things in order.
- While vaca means 'cow', Spanish speakers often use the generic term ordeñar alone to refer to the process regardless of whether the animal is a cow, goat or sheep.
Examples in context
- Aprendí a ordeñar una vaca.I learned to milk a cow.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase ordeñar una vaca.Tatoeba #1868643 by Shishir, translation #1866503 by Spamster
- Es necesario ordeñar una vaca dos veces al díaIt is necessary to milk a cow twice a day
- El proceso de extraer leche de una vaca requiere cuidadoThe process of extracting milk from a cow requires care
- Mi abuelo me enseñó a ordeñar una vaca cuando éramos niñosMy grandfather taught me how to milk a cow when we were kids
- En el campo, siempre comenzamos el día ordeñando la vacaIn the countryside, we always start the day by milking the cow
- Él tiene que ordeñar una vaca cada mañana.He has to milk a cow every morning.
- ¿Sabes cómo ordeñar una vaca con la máquina?Do you know how to milk a cow with the machine?
Example conversation
Daniel and María are working on a small farm.
- DanielMaría, ¿puedes ayudarme a ordeñar una vaca?María, can you help me milk a cow?
- MaríaSí, Daniel, yo sé cómo hacerlo.Yes, Daniel, I know how to do it.
- DanielEs muy importante ordeñar una vaca temprano.It is very important to milk a cow early.
- MaríaTienes razón, vamos a empezar ahora.You are right, let's start now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ordeñar, una, vaca, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
