cerdo
/ˈθeɾdo/masculine
The English phrase "pork" is translated into Spanish as cerdo. Wiktionary also lists puerco and carne de chancho.
Meaning: meat of a pig (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cerdo | /ˈθeɾdo/ /ˈseɾdo/ |
masculine |
| puerco | /ˈpweɾko/ | masculine |
| carne de chancho | /kaɾne de t͡ʃant͡ʃo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| matagón | /mataɡon/ (from spelling rules) | El Salvador, masculine |
The word refers to the meat of a pig. In a culinary context, cerdo is the most standard way to refer to the meat, though it can also refer to the animal itself. You may also encounter chicharrones, which are a traditional Colombian dish of crispy fried pork belly.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many parts of South America, such as Argentina, Chile and Peru, chancho is the most common term for pig/pork, often used in the phrase carne de chancho. In El Salvador, the term matagón is used. The form puerco is also a masculine way to refer to pork.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈθeɾdo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful when using these words to describe people. Calling a person cerdo or puerco is a common insult meaning "dirty" or "filthy."
Did you know?
- The word puerco is often used as English-style slang to refer to a police officer. This usage is a semantic loan from the English word 'pig' rather than being a native Spanish development.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the word puerco is used not just for filth, but as a specific descriptor for someone who is greedy or gluttonous.
- The word carne can refer to any kind of 'flesh', and in a medical context, it is used to describe tissue rather than food.
Examples in context
- ¿Por qué no comes cerdo?Why don't you eat pork?This sentence is useful for asking why someone does not eat cerdo.Tatoeba #7980725 by Shishir, translation #6645895 by CK
- Tom no puede comer cerdo.Tom can't eat pork.This sentence is useful for stating that someone cannot eat cerdo.Tatoeba #3103956 by marcelostockle, translation #1907943 by Spamster
- ¿Le gusta el lomo de cerdo?Do you like pork loin?This sentence is useful for asking if someone likes pork loin using cerdo.Tatoeba #2265786 by cueyayotl, translation #2265785 by _undertoad
- El cerdo es una carne muy sabrosaPork is a very tasty meat
- Me encanta la carne de cerdo asadaI love grilled pork meat
- Vamos a asar un poco de puercoLet's grill some pork
- En esta zona es muy típico comer chancho asadoIn this area, it's very typical to eat roasted pork
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are grocery shopping.
- Lucía¿Compramos carne de cerdo hoy?Are we buying pork today?
- MateoSí, el cerdo está en oferta.Yes, the pork is on sale.
- LucíaPerfecto, llevaré un poco de cerdo.Perfect, I will take some pork.
- MateoMuy bien, Lucía.Very well, Lucía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pork” translations and entries cerdo, puerco, 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 carne, cerdo, chancho, de, puerco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
