zarigüeya
/θaɾiˈɡweʝa/
The Spanish word for possum is zarigüeya.
The term refers to the marsupial of the order Diprotodontia.
Meaning: marsupial of the order Diprotodontia (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural form, use zarigüeyas.
How do you pronounce it?
/θaɾiˈɡweʝa/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the behavior of a zarigüeya pretending to be dead is described as hacerse el muerto, a phrase also used idiomatically to describe someone ignoring a problem.
- The word zarigüeya comes from the Old Tupi word sariwé, which was adopted into Brazilian Portuguese before entering Spanish.
- While zarigüeya is the formal term, people in Mexico often use the word tlacuache, derived from the Nahuatl language.
Examples in context
- El erizo, el topo, la nutria, el conejo y la zarigüeya parecen roedores pero no lo son.A hedgehog, a mole, an otter, a bunny and a possum look like rodents, but they're not.This sentence is useful for distinguishing a zarigüeya from various other animals that look like rodents.Tatoeba #10268291 by Seael, translation #9344577 by DJ_Saidez
- La zarigüeya es un animal muy curioso nativo de América.The possum is a very curious animal native to America.
- En la selva, el tlacuache es uno de los animales más astutos.In the jungle, the possum is one of the cleverest animals.
- La zarigüeya estaba escondida en el jardín.The possum was hiding in the garden.
- Vi una zarigüeya pequeña cerca de los árboles.I saw a small possum near the trees.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are walking in a park at night.
- Javier¿Viste esa zarigüeya en el camino?Did you see that possum on the path?
- LucíaSí, la zarigüeya es muy rápida.Yes, the possum is very fast.
- JavierEs un animal muy curioso.It is a very curious animal.
- LucíaTienes razón, Javier.You are right, Javier.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry zarigüeya, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zarigüeya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
