puerco
common, Mexico
In Mexican Spanish "pig" is most often puerco, and cerdo is the neutral standard word. In casual speech people also say cochino or marrano.
Meaning: farm animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| puerco | common, Mexico |
| cerdo | neutral |
| cochino | colloquial |
| marrano | colloquial |
Puerco is the everyday word for the animal and for its meat in Mexico, as in carne de puerco. Cerdo sounds more formal and appears in labels and farming texts.
Which one should you use?
Cochino and marrano can also be used as insults for a dirty person, so use them for the animal with care. A baby pig is cochinito, and cochinita pibil is a famous pork dish from Yucatán.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not call a person puerco or marrano unless you mean to insult them.
Did you know?
- A piggy bank in Mexico is often called cochinito or alcancía.
Examples in context
- El puerco está en el corral.The pig is in the pen.
- Vimos un cerdo en la granja.We saw a pig on the farm.
- Compré un cochinito de barro.I bought a clay piggy bank.
Example conversation
Tía Chela shows her nephew Emilio the animals on her small farm in Michoacán.
- EmilioTía, ¿cuántos puercos tienes?Auntie, how many pigs do you have?
- Tía ChelaTres, y uno es muy tragón.Three, and one is very greedy.
- EmilioEse es mi favorito.That one is my favorite.
