pingüino
standard, Mexico
In Mexican Spanish a penguin is a pingüino. The word is the same across the Spanish-speaking world, so Mexico has no separate local term.
Meaning: flightless sea bird (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Pingüino is masculine, and the plural is pingüinos. For a female penguin you can say pingüina, though most people just say el pingüino.
How do you pronounce it?
The two dots over the ü mean you pronounce the u, so the word sounds like "peen-GWEE-no".
Did you know?
- The ü in pingüino is one of the few places where Spanish uses a diaeresis to keep the u sounded after g.
Examples in context
- Vi un pingüino en el zoológico.I saw a penguin at the zoo.
- Los pingüinos viven en el hemisferio sur.Penguins live in the southern hemisphere.
- Mi hija quiere un peluche de pingüino.My daughter wants a penguin plush toy.
Example conversation
Sofía and her little brother Diego look at the penguin exhibit at a zoo in Mexico City.
- DiegoMira, Sofía, ¡un pingüino!Look, Sofía, a penguin!
- SofíaSí, y está nadando muy rápido.Yes, and it is swimming very fast.
- DiegoQuiero ver cómo come.I want to see how it eats.
