oso
/ˈoso/
The Spanish word oso means oso (phrase).
It is also used in the idiom Hacer el oso, which means to make a fool of oneself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the noun is osos. If you are referring to a female bear, use the feminine form osa.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈoso/
Did you know?
- In the LGBTQ+ community in several Spanish-speaking countries, oso refers to a specific subculture of hairy, masculine men who embody a 'bear' aesthetic.
- In Spanish folklore, the oso is often linked to the 'dance of the bears', a traditional ritual in some villages where people dress as bears to celebrate the arrival of spring.
- The word oso is derived from the Latin ursus. This makes it a linguistic cousin to the English word 'ursa', used in the names of the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
Examples in context
- "Oso", "ojo", "ala", "Ana", "Oto" y "anilina" son palíndromos."Oso", "ojo", "ala", "Ana", "Oto" and "anilina" are palindromes.This sentence shows that oso is an example of a palindrome.Tatoeba #7977455 by Seael, translation #10249754 by LimeGreenTeknii
- El oso es una criatura magníficaThe bear is a magnificent creature
- La conservación del oso pardo es fundamentalThe conservation of the brown bear is essential
- El comportamiento ursino es objeto de estudioBear behavior is the subject of study
- El oso es grandeThe bear is big
- Los osos son grandesThe bears are big
- El oso negro es imponenteThe black bear is imposing
- El oso pandaThe panda bear
- El oso grizzlyThe grizzly bear
- El oso duerme en la cueva.The bear sleeps in the cave.
- Vimos un oso grande en el bosque.We saw a large bear in the forest.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are watching a nature documentary at home.
- Javier¿Viste ese oso en la pantalla?Did you see that bear on the screen?
- SofíaSí, es un oso muy impresionante.Yes, it is a very impressive bear.
- JavierMe da un poco de miedo.It scares me a little bit.
- SofíaNo te preocupes, estamos seguros aquí.Don't worry, we are safe here.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry oso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.