buey
/ˈbwei/masculine
The Spanish word for ox is buey.
The term refers to an adult castrated male of cattle.
Meaning: an adult castrated male of cattle (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In South American countries such as Argentina and Uruguay, the term yunta might be used to denote a pair of oxen used for pulling a cart or plowing fields.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbwei/
Did you know?
- In Mexico, the word güey (a phonetic evolution of buey) is one of the most common slang terms used to mean 'dude' or 'guy'.
- If you call a friend güey in Mexico, it can be a sign of great intimacy or a casual insult depending entirely on your tone of voice.
- The word buey shares a common ancestor with the English word 'beef' via the Latin word 'bovem'.
Examples in context
- Del buey viejo aprende a arar el novillo.From the old ox, the young one learns to plow.This sentence shows how a young animal learns from an old buey.Tatoeba #5085430 by cueyayotl, translation #695143 by qdii
- Cuando la vaca vuela alto y el buey vuela bajo, seguramente hay un tornado.When the cow flies high and the ox flies low, there probably is a twister.This sentence uses buey in a humorous context about a twister.Tatoeba #500373 by Shishir, translation #414384 by MUIRIEL
- Los doce animales de los signos del zodíaco chino provienen de once tipos de animales que encontramos en la naturaleza: la rata, el buey, el tigre, el conejo, la serpiente, el caballo, el carnero, el mono, el gallo, el perro, el chancho, y el mitológico dragón, ellos son utilizados como calendario.The twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac come from eleven types of animals we find in nature: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the hare, the snake, the horse, the ram, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, the pig, and the mythological dragon, they're used as a calendar.This sentence lists the animals of the Chinese Zodiac, including the buey.Tatoeba #1241216 by hayastan, translation #1241238 by xellugis
- El buey es un animal fuerte y trabajador en el campo.The ox is a strong and hardworking animal in the field.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A farmer and a visitor stand in a field near a wooden cart.
- AlejandroEl buey tira de este carro pesado.The ox pulls this heavy cart.
- Elena¿Es un buey muy fuerte, Alejandro?Is he a very strong ox, Alejandro?
- AlejandroSí, es un buey muy trabajador.Yes, he is a very hardworking ox.
- ElenaQué animal tan impresionante, qué suerte tienes.What an impressive animal, you are lucky.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ox” translations and entries buey, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buey, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
