pavo real
/pabo ɾeal/from spelling rules
pavo real is the Spanish phrase for peacock.
This phrase refers to the large bird recognized for the male's ability to fan out its colorful feathers.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of pavo, meaning turkey and real, meaning royal. It literally translates to 'royal turkey'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine, so when you refer to the peacock with a definite article, you use el pavo real.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word pavo is a direct descendant of the Latin pāvō, which originally referred to the peacock long before turkeys were brought to Europe from the Americas.
- In Spanish, calling someone a pavo can be a slang term for a naive or foolish person, similar to calling someone a 'turkey' in English.
- In Spanish, the word real can be a linguistic 'double agent'. It can mean 'royal' as in pavo real, but it also means 'actual' or 'real' in many other contexts.
Examples in context
- Ayer visité el zoológico y quedé maravillado por la belleza del pavo real.Yesterday, I visited the zoo and was amazed by the beauty of the peacock.
- Mi abuela tiene un jardín hermoso, y a veces vemos pavos reales paseando entre las flores.My grandmother has a beautiful garden, and sometimes we see peacocks strolling among the flowers.
- El pavo real tiene plumas hermosas.The peacock has beautiful feathers.
- Vimos un pavo real en el zoológico.We saw a peacock at the zoo.
- El pavo real desplegó su cola.The peacock spread its tail.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are walking through a botanical garden.
- Daniel¡Mira, Sofía! Hay un pavo real allí.Look, Sofía! There is a peacock over there.
- SofíaEs impresionante, Daniel, es muy colorido.It is impressive, Daniel, it is very colorful.
- DanielEse pavo real parece muy elegante.That peacock looks very elegant.
- SofíaSí, me encanta su plumaje.Yes, I love its plumage.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pavo real, 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 pavo, real, CC BY-SA 4.0.
