nutria
/ˈnutɾja/feminine
The English word otter is translated into Spanish as nutria. Wiktionary also lists lutria and ludria.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| nutria | /ˈnutɾja/ | feminine |
| lutria | /ˈlutɾja/ | feminine |
| ludria | /ludɾja/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
The term refers to the mammal. In scientific contexts, the term Lontra is used to refer to the genus of otters.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word nutria is a feminine noun, meaning it is used with feminine articles like la or adjectives like pequeña. To form the plural, add -s to get las nutrias.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnutɾja/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word nutria is used for both the otter and the coypu, a large rodent that looks similar to an otter.
- The word nutria likely evolved under the influence of the Ancient Greek word énudris, which literally means 'water-animal'.
- Because nutria is a feminine noun, a male otter is still called la nutria unless the speaker specifically needs to clarify its sex.
Examples in context
- La nutria retozaba en el río.The otter was playing in the river.Tatoeba #10268286 by Seael, translation #5977814 by Kevre
- La nutria marina atravesó a nado el bosque de kelp.The sea otter swam through the kelp forest.Tatoeba #11969431 by Seael, translation #8147201 by Hybrid
- El erizo, el topo, la nutria, el conejo y la zarigüeya parecen roedores pero no lo son.A hedgehog, a mole, an otter, a bunny and a possum look like rodents, but they're not.Tatoeba #10268291 by Seael, translation #9344577 by DJ_Saidez
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are visiting a zoo.
- MaríaMira, ¡aquella nutria es muy graciosa!Look, that otter is very funny!
- AlejandroTienes razón, me encanta cómo nada.You're right, I love how it swims.
- MaríaCreo que la nutria está jugando con una piedra.I think the otter is playing with a stone.
- AlejandroEs increíble lo inteligente que es.It's incredible how intelligent it is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “otter” translations and entries nutria, lutria, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lutria, nutria, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
