pirata
/piˈɾata/masculine
The Spanish word for pirate is pirata. Wiktionary also lists bucanero.
Meaning: one who plunders at sea (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pirata | /piˈɾata/ | masculine |
| bucanero | /bukaˈneɾo/ | masculine |
The noun pirata refers generally to someone who plunders at sea. In colloquial speech, the verb piratear is used to describe the act of pirating something, such as illegally downloading copyrighted material.
Which one should you use?
pirata is the general term for a pirate, whereas bucanero specifically refers to a buccaneer. If you are referring to privateers, the term used is corsario.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word pirata is invariant in gender for its ending, meaning the feminine form is also pirata.
How do you pronounce it?
/piˈɾata/
Did you know?
- The word pirata shares its DNA with the English word 'pirate' because both descend from the Ancient Greek word πειρᾱτής, which originally meant 'one who attempts' or 'one who tries'.
- The word bucanero comes from the French word 'boucan', a wooden grill used by hunters to smoke meat on the islands of Hispaniola.
- The term bucanero originally referred to hunters on land who poached livestock, and only later evolved to describe pirates.
Examples in context
- El tatarabuelo de Tom fue un pirata.Tom's great-great-grandfather was a pirate.This sentence is useful for talking about a person's great-great-grandfather using pirata.Tatoeba #1689635 by teskmon, translation #1092151 by CK
- ¿Te gustan las películas de piratas?Do you like pirate movies?This sentence is useful for asking about movies about pirata.Tatoeba #13599364 by Seael, translation #2951751 by CK
- En Halloween él llevaba un disfraz de pirata.He wore a pirate costume for Halloween.This sentence is useful for describing a costume using pirata.Tatoeba #2008783 by Shishir, translation #1977271 by Spamster
- En el siglo XVIII, los piratas infestaban los mares del Caribe en busca de tesoros.In the 18th century, pirates infested the Caribbean seas in search of treasures.
- Los bucaneros se caracterizaban por atacar navíos españoles en busca de riquezas.Buccaneers were known for attacking Spanish ships in search of wealth.
- Ayer vimos una película sobre piratas, ¡fue genial!Yesterday, we watched a movie about pirates, it was awesome!
- No deberías piratear música, ya que es ilegal.You shouldn't pirate music as it is illegal.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are discussing a historical novel at a cafe.
- JavierEse pirata es el protagonista de la novela.That pirate is the protagonist of the novel.
- María¿Te parece interesante la historia de este pirata?Do you find this pirate's story interesting?
- JavierSí, es un pirata muy valiente.Yes, he is a very brave pirate.
- MaríaA mí también me gusta mucho su aventura.I also really like his adventure.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pirate” translations and entries pirata, bucanero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pirata, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
