plaga
/ˈplaɡa/
The Spanish word for pest is plaga.
plaga most commonly refers to a plague or a widespread infestation of insects or animals. While it can be used in certain colloquial contexts to describe a nuisance person, it is primarily used for biological infestations.
Meaning: animal regarded as a nuisance (noun)
Which one should you use?
If you want to refer to a person being a 'pest' in the sense of being an annoyance rather than a biological infestation, using molestia or pesado/a is more natural than using plaga.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun plaga is feminine and can be used with the definite article la or the indefinite article una. The plural form is plagas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈplaɡa/
Did you know?
- While plaga refers to the infestation itself, the word pesado describes a person who is a pest because they are 'heavy' to deal with.
- The word plaga is a doublet of the Spanish word llaga, which means 'sore' or 'wound'. Although they look different, they both descend from the same Latin root.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, calling a child a plaga implies they are hyperactive and constantly moving, much like an infestation spreading through an area.
Examples in context
- Maldita sea, esa plaga de Nagisa, ella realmente fue y me delató a los profesores.Dammit, that pest Nagisa, she really went and snitched on me to the teachers.This sentence shows how plaga can be used colloquially to describe a person acting as a nuisance.Tatoeba #6858180 by albrusgher, translation #328234 by fcbond
- La plaga de cucarachas ha sido un problema en el vecindarioThe cockroach pest has been a problem in the neighborhood
- Hemos tenido una plaga de insectos en el jardínWe have had an insect pest problem in the garden
- Eliminar los parásitos es crucial para mantener la salud de los animalesEliminating pests is crucial to maintaining animal health
- Los mosquitos son una gran molestia en veranoMosquitoes are a big pest in the summer
- ¡Estos bichos no me dejan en paz!These pests won't leave me alone!
- Esa plaga de langostas destruyó el campo.That plague of locusts destroyed the field.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are looking at a damaged plant.
- DanielMira, hay una plaga en mis flores.Look, there is a pest on my flowers.
- SofíaTienes razón, Sofía ve muchos bichos.You're right, Sofía sees many bugs.
- Daniel¿Sabes cómo eliminar esta plaga?Do you know how to get rid of this pest?
- SofíaSí, Daniel, podemos comprar un insecticida.Yes, Daniel, we can buy an insecticide.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry plaga, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries plaga, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
