milpiés
/milˈpjes/masculine
The English word millipede is milpiés in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists congorocho.
Meaning: elongated arthropod (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| milpiés | /milˈpjes/ | masculine |
| congorocho | /konɡoˈɾot͡ʃo/ | Venezuela, masculine |
The term refers to an elongated arthropod.
What does it mean word for word?
The word milpiés is a compound of mil (thousand) and pies (feet).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Venezuela, the term congorocho is used to refer to a millipede. In Central America, you may also hear the phrase gusanito de cien pies, which means hundred-footed little worm.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun milpiés is invariable, so its form does not change between singular and plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/milˈpjes/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish speaking cultures, the milpiés is associated with folk beliefs about bad luck or protection, often appearing in regional myths and superstitions.
- The term congorocho is an example of 'americanismo', a word specific to certain regions of the Americas that would be completely unknown to a speaker in Spain.
- The word milpiés is a compound word that creates a mathematical hyperbole, as no millipede actually possesses one thousand feet.
Examples in context
- La longevidad de la carpa no se ve molestada por la agitación del milpiés.The carp's longevity is unmolested by the turmoil of the millipede.Tatoeba #5678445 by albrusgher, translation #646796 by kebukebu
- No me gustan los gusanitos de cien pies, ¡me dan un poco de miedo!I don't like hundred-footed little worms, they scare me a bit!
- Vi un milpiés caminando sobre la hoja.I saw a millipede walking on the leaf.
- El milpiés se enrolla cuando lo tocas.The millipede curls up when you touch it.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are walking in a garden.
- Daniel¡Mira, Sofía, hay un milpiés en el suelo!Look, Sofía, there is a millipede on the ground!
- Sofía¡Qué miedo! No me gusta ese milpiés.How scary! I don't like that millipede.
- DanielNo te preocupes, no te va a hacer nada.Don't worry, it won't do anything to you.
- SofíaPrefiero seguir caminando lejos de él.I prefer to keep walking far away from it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “millipede” translations and entries milpiés, congorocho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries milpiés, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
