How to Say "Porcupine" in Spanish

puercoespín

/pweɾkoesˈpin/

The English word porcupine is translated into Spanish as puercoespín.

Puercoespín is the noun used to refer to a rodent of either the Hystricidae or Erethizonidae families.

Meaning: rodent of either of the families Hystricidae or Erethizonidae (noun)

Which one should you use?

Do not confuse puercoespín (porcupine) with erizo (hedgehog). While both have spines, they are different animals.

The plural form of puercoespín is puercoespines.

/pweɾkoesˈpin/

The word puercoespín literally translates to 'spine pig'.
In some Spanish-speaking regions, if you call someone a puercoespín, you are not just calling them a rodent, but implying they are 'prickly' or difficult to deal with socially.
The first part of the word, puerco, is commonly used as a slang term for someone who is dirty or lacks basic manners.

Sami vio un puercoespín en su patio.
Sami saw a porcupine in his backyard.
This sentence shows how to use puercoespín when describing something seen in a backyard.
Tatoeba #10784019 by megamanenm, translation #6577737 by OsoHombre
No, no es un erizo grande, es un puercoespín.
No, it's not a big hedgehog, it's a porcupine.
This sentence uses puercoespín to clarify the difference between a porcupine and a hedgehog.
Tatoeba #13118700 by samir_t, translation #13118702 by samir_t
Los puercoespines son conocidos por su capacidad de erizar sus púas cuando se sienten amenazados.
Porcupines are known for their ability to bristle their quills when they feel threatened.
Hoy encontré un puercoespín común en el bosque. ¡Sus púas eran tan afiladas!
Today I found a common porcupine in the forest. Its quills were so sharp!
El puercoespín norteamericano es más grande que el puercoespín común.
The North American porcupine is larger than the common porcupine.
El puercoespín tiene muchas espinas.
The porcupine has many spines.

Javier and Sofía are watching a nature documentary on TV.

Sources

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