piraña
/piˈɾaɲa/feminine
The Spanish word for piranha is piraña.
Piraña refers to the South American fish.
Meaning: South American fish (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/piˈɾaɲa/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American urban contexts, a piraña refers to a street youth or a petty thief who targets others in groups.
- The word piraña was borrowed into Spanish from Portuguese, which had previously taken it from Old Tupi.
- Spanish speakers may use the term piraña to describe someone who finishes a plate of food incredibly quickly.
Examples in context
- ¿Te mordió una piraña?Were you bit by a piranha?This sentence is useful for asking if someone was bit by a piraña.Tatoeba #13454010 by Seael, translation #7497674 by shekitten
- ¿Tu madre es una piraña?Is your momma a piranha?This sentence is useful for asking if someone's mother is a piraña.Tatoeba #13454009 by Seael, translation #6956286 by shekitten
- Ten cuidado al nadar en el río Amazonas. Hay pirañas peligrosas.Be careful when swimming in the Amazon River, there are dangerous piranhas.
- Estudios recientes han revelado información valiosa sobre la biología de las pirañas.Recent studies have revealed valuable information about piranha biology.
- El zoológico acaba de recibir una nueva adición: una piscina con pirañas.The zoo has just received a new addition: a pool with piranhas.
- No te metas en ese río, está lleno de pirayas y te pueden morder.Don't get into that river, it's full of piranhas, and they can bite you.
- Esa piraña tiene dientes muy grandes.That piranha has very large teeth.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are at an aquarium.
- LucíaMira, Javier, ¡esa piraña es enorme!Look, Javier, that piranha is huge!
- JavierEs increíble lo que puede comer.It is incredible what it can eat.
- LucíaDicen que la piraña caza en grupo.They say that the piranha hunts in groups.
- JavierPor eso dan tanto miedo.That is why they are so scary.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “piranha” translations and entries piraña, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries piraña, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
