tlacuache
Mexico, everyday
In Mexico a possum is a tlacuache, a word that comes from Nahuatl. The standard Spanish word, used in books and across other countries, is zarigüeya.
Meaning: opossum, a small nocturnal marsupial (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| tlacuache | Mexico, everyday |
| Zarigüeya | standard |
The animal is common around houses at night. You might say Hay un tlacuache en el patio when you spot one by the trash.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Tlacuache is a Mexican word. In other countries people say zarigüeya, and in some parts of South America you also hear chucha or comadreja, so use tlacuache when you are in Mexico.
How do you pronounce it?
Say tlacuache as "tla-KWA-che", with the "tl" blended into one sound at the start and "ch" like in English "church".
Did you know?
- In Mexican folk tales the tlacuache is the animal that stole fire for people, an old story told in several Indigenous traditions.
Examples in context
- Vi un tlacuache en el techo.I saw a possum on the roof.
- El tlacuache se hace el muerto.The possum plays dead.
- La zarigüeya es un marsupial.The opossum is a marsupial.
Example conversation
Doña Lupe and her grandson Diego hear a noise in the yard of their house in Oaxaca at night.
- DiegoAbuela, ¿qué es ese ruido?Grandma, what is that noise?
- Doña LupeEs un tlacuache, mijo.It is a possum, my son.
- Diego¿Y no muerde?And does it not bite?
