flautín
/flauˈtin/masculine
The English word piccolo is translated into Spanish as flautín or pícolo.
Meaning: small, high-pitched transverse flute (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| flautín | /flauˈtin/ | masculine |
| pícolo | /ˈpikolo/ | masculine |
Both terms refer to a small, high-pitched transverse flute. When discussing musical techniques such as a trino (trill), these terms are used to identify the instrument.
Which one should you use?
flautín is the standard, more formal term used in musical scores and professional settings, while pícolo is a common loanword.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/flauˈtin/
Did you know?
- The term pícolo is a direct loanword from the Italian word piccolo, which simply means 'small'.
- The suffix -ín in flautín creates a musical specificity that the base word flauta does not possess.
- Beyond music, the diminutive suffix -ín found in flautín is used throughout Spanish to express endearment or smallness.
Examples in context
- El flautín es un instrumento pequeño normalmente usado en orquestas.The piccolo is a small instrument commonly used in orchestras.
- En esta región, prefieren utilizar el flautín órfico para tocar música folclórica.In this region, they prefer to use the Orphic piccolo to play folk music.
- El flautín suena muy agudo.The piccolo sounds very high-pitched.
- Ella toca el flautín en la orquesta.She plays the piccolo in the orchestra.
- Necesito un flautín nuevo para la clase.I need a new piccolo for the class.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are in a music school practice room.
- Elena¿Dónde está tu flautín, Mateo?Where is your piccolo, Mateo?
- MateoEstá en mi estuche sobre la mesa.It is in my case on the table.
- ElenaTu flautín es de plata, ¿verdad?Your piccolo is silver, right?
- MateoSí, es un regalo de mi padre.Yes, it is a gift from my father.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “piccolo” translations and entries flautín, pícolo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries flautín, pícolo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
