ñandú
/ɲanˈdu/
The English phrase nandu is translated into Spanish as ñandú.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Chile, the term surí is used to refer to the nandú.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɲanˈdu/
Did you know?
- The word ñandú was borrowed from Paraguayan Guarani, where the term ñandu guasu literally means 'big spider'.
- In Spanish, the letter ñ in ñandú creates a sound that does not exist in English, appearing in many words borrowed from indigenous languages of the Americas.
- The ñandú is often called the 'South American ostrich', though it belongs to a distinct family of birds.
Examples in context
- El ñandú es una especie de ave que habita en América del Sur.The ñandú is a species of bird that lives in South America.
- ¡Mira, allá hay un nandú corriendo por el campo!Look, there's a nandú running in the field!
- El ñandú corre muy rápido.The rhea runs very fast.
- Vi un ñandú en el zoológico.I saw a rhea at the zoo.
- Ese ñandú es de color gris.That rhea is gray.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- Alejandro¿Qué es ese animal?What is that animal?
- SofíaEs un ñandú.It is a rhea.
- Alejandro¡Qué interesante es el ñandú!How interesting the rhea is!
- SofíaSí, es un ave muy grande.Yes, it is a very large bird.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ñandú, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ñandú, CC BY-SA 4.0.
