Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cerdo | /ˈθeɾdo/ /ˈseɾdo/ |
masculine |
| chancho | /ˈt͡ʃant͡ʃo/ | Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, masculine |
| coche | /ˈkot͡ʃe/ | Guatemala, masculine |
| cochi | /kot͡ʃi/ (from spelling rules) | Mexico, Northwestern, masculine |
| cochín | /koˈt͡ʃin/ | Aragon, Northern, Spain, masculine |
| cochino | /koˈt͡ʃino/ | Canary Islands, Mexico, Southwestern, Spain, masculine |
| cocho | /ˈkot͡ʃo/ | Northern, Spain, masculine |
| cuchi | /ˈkut͡ʃi/ | Central, Northern, Northwestern Argentina, masculine |
| gocho | /ɡot͡ʃo/ (from spelling rules) | Northern, Spain, masculine |
| gorrino | /ɡoˈrino/ | Central, Eastern, Southern, Spain, masculine |
| guarro | /ˈɡwaro/ | Spain, Western, masculine |
| marrano | /maˈrano/ | Central, Colombia, Venezuela, Western, masculine |
| puerco | /ˈpweɾko/ | Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, masculine |
| tocino | /toˈθino/ /toˈsino/ |
Aragon, Northern, Spain, masculine |
| tunco | /ˈtunko/ | El Salvador, masculine |
| pitzote | /pitθote/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /pitsote/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| cuche | /ˈkut͡ʃe/ | masculine |
The primary term for the mammal is cerdo. Like in English, cerdo can be used metaphorically to describe a person who is physically dirty or lacks manners. In a culinary context, the term lechón is used specifically to refer to a suckling pig or a young pig used in cooking.
Which one should you use?
While cerdo is the standard term, puerco is often used in an informal or derogatory sense to describe someone who is dirty or behaves poorly.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Several regional variations exist for the word pig: chancho is used in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. In Guatemala, you may hear coche. In Mexico, cochi is used in Northwestern regions, while cochino is used in the Southwest and is also found in the Canary Islands and parts of Spain. In Northern Spain, specifically in Aragon, cochín and tocino are used, while cocho and gocho are also found in Northern regions. Gorrino is used in Central, Eastern and Southern Spain. In Western Spain, guarro is used. Marrano is common in parts of Western, Central, Colombia and Venezuela. In Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, puerco is used (though tunco is specific to El Salvador). Cuchi is used in Central, Northern and Northwestern Argentina. Finally, pitzote and cuche are also forms for the animal.
How does it change in a sentence?
All the listed forms for pig are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈθeɾdo/
Did you know?
- The word marrano has a complex historical association with the forced converts of the Spanish Inquisition, moving beyond its literal meaning of pig.
- The term chancho is derived from sancho, a word historically used as a call to get the attention of pigs.
- While most terms for pig refer to the animal, the word tocino refers specifically to the fatty meat or bacon derived from it.
Examples in context
- No sea un cerdo.Don't be a pig.This sentence is useful for seeing how cerdo is used to describe behavior.Tatoeba #4438159 by ponisio7, translation #2270296 by CK
- Comía como un cerdo.I used to eat like a pig.This sentence shows the metaphorical use of cerdo regarding eating habits.Tatoeba #3800069 by Seael, translation #1724649 by CM
- Él come como un puerco.He eats like a pig.This sentence demonstrates the use of puerco to describe eating habits.Tatoeba #4349746 by cueyayotl, translation #2980304 by pne
- El cerdo es un animal muy inteligente.The pig is a very intelligent animal.
- Miré un chanchito en la granja de mi abuelo.I saw a pig in my grandfather's farm.
- 36 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are visiting a small farm.
- JavierMira, hay un cerdo rosa en la granja.Look, there is a pink pig on the farm.
- SofíaEs muy bonito, Javier.It is very cute, Javier.
- JavierEl cerdo está comiendo mucho.The pig is eating a lot.
- SofíaSí, parece tener mucha hambre.Yes, it seems to be very hungry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pig” translations and entries cerdo, chancho, coche, cochín, cochino, cocho, cuchi, gocho, gorrino, guarro, marrano, puerco, tocino, tunco, cuche, 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 cerdo, chancho, coche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
