viruela del mono
/biɾwela del mono/from spelling rules
In Spanish, monkey pox is called viruela del mono.
The phrase refers to a contagious viral disease that causes rashes and blisters on the skin.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression is composed of viruela (smallpox), del (of the) and mono (monkey).
Which one should you use?
While viruela del mono is the standard term, mpox is increasingly used in recent medical and official Spanish contexts to avoid the stigma associated with the word 'monkey'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Latin America, such as Mexico and Central America, the phrase brote de viruela del mono can be used to specifically denote an outbreak.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is a feminine noun phrase and is typically used with the feminine definite article la, as in la viruela del mono.
How do you pronounce it?
/biɾwela del mono/
Did you know?
- Both the Spanish mono and the English 'monkey' can be traced back to the Arabic word maymūn, which originally referred to baboons and mandrills.
- In Spain, the word mono is frequently used as an adjective to describe something 'cute' or 'lovely'. This creates a linguistic contrast where the same word identifies both a primate and something adorable.
Examples in context
- ¿Has oído hablar de la viruela de mono?Have you heard of monkeypox?
- Hay un brote de viruela del mono en la región.There is a monkeypox outbreak in the region.
- La viruela del mono es muy contagiosa.Monkeypox is very contagious.
- Están informando sobre la viruela del mono.They are reporting on monkeypox.
- ¿Qué síntomas tiene la viruela del mono?What are the symptoms of monkeypox?
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are talking about health news.
- SofíaDaniel, ¿has leído sobre la viruela del mono?Daniel, have you read about monkey pox?
- DanielSí, Sofía, he visto las noticias hoy.Yes, Sofía, I saw the news today.
- SofíaParece que la viruela del mono causa erupciones.It seems that monkey pox causes rashes.
- DanielEs cierto, hay que tener mucho cuidado.That's true, we have to be very careful.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries del, mono, viruela, CC BY-SA 4.0.
