pelícano
/peˈlikano/masculine
The Spanish word for pelican is pelícano.
pelícano is a masculine noun used to refer to any of various seabirds belonging to the family Pelecanidae.
Meaning: any of various seabirds of the family Pelecanidae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/peˈlikano/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the pelícano is often associated with the concept of 'self-sacrifice' because of a medieval myth claiming the bird pierces its own breast to feed its young with blood.
- In Greek, the root of pelícano refers to a 'hammer', which describes the bird's heavy, powerful beak.
- The word pelícano is used in Spanish to describe a 'greedy' person in certain colloquial contexts, referring to the bird's large pouch used to scoop up everything in its path.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué come el pelícano?What does the pelican eat?This sentence is useful for asking about the diet of a pelícano.Tatoeba #7906436 by Seael, translation #7905453 by AlanF_US
- El pelícano es un ave marina de gran tamaño y hermoso plumaje.The pelican is a large marine bird with beautiful plumage.
- ¡Mira ese pelícano volando sobre el mar!Look at that pelican flying over the sea!
- En la costa de México, el pelícano es considerado un emblema de la biodiversidad marina.On the coast of Mexico, the pelican is considered an emblem of marine biodiversity.
- Los pelícanos surcan los cielos con su envergadura imponente.Pelicans soar through the skies with their impressive wingspan.
- El pelícano tiene un pico muy grande.The pelican has a very large beak.
- Vimos un pelícano volando sobre el mar.We saw a pelican flying over the sea.
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are watching birds at the beach.
- MaríaMira, Alejandro, un pelícano en la arena.Look, Alejandro, a pelican on the sand.
- AlejandroEs un pelícano muy impresionante.It is a very impressive pelican.
- María¿Crees que se comerá ese pescado?Do you think it will eat that fish?
- AlejandroSeguramente sí, es su comida favorita.Surely, it is its favorite food.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pelican” translations and entries pelícano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pelícano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
