presa
/ˈpɾesa/feminine
The English word "prey" is translated into Spanish as presa.
The term refers to that which may be seized by animals. For example, the standard way to refer to birds of prey in Spanish is aves de presa.
Meaning: that which may be seized by animals (noun)
Which one should you use?
In the context of animals, presa means "prey". Note that presa can also mean 'dam' (as in a water dam) or 'captured/caught' (as an adjective).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word presa is a feminine noun. The plural form of presa is presas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpɾesa/
Did you know?
- While presa means 'prey' or 'dam', it is also the standard Spanish word for a 'prisoner'. This is because both a captured animal and a prisoner are things that have been 'seized'.
- In Spanish, if you describe a person as being a presa of a scam, you are using the word in its figurative sense to mean 'victim'. It implies they have been 'captured' or 'snared' by a trick.
- Because it is derived from the Latin prēnsa, the word is a direct cognate of the English word 'prey'. Both words stem from the same root describing the act of seizing or grasping.
Examples in context
- Los halcones son aves de presa.Falcons are birds of prey.This sentence uses presa to define a category of birds.Tatoeba #677844 by Shishir, translation #8268307 by Adelpa
- El águila se lanzó sobre su presa.The eagle dived at its prey.This sentence shows an eagle attacking its presa.Tatoeba #1002595 by hayastan, translation #29140 by blay_paul
- Al final las hienas espantaron a los leones de su presa.At last the hyenas chased the lions from their prey.This sentence describes hyenas chasing lions away from their presa.Tatoeba #5822076 by albrusgher, translation #4465763 by maaster
- Durante la caza, el león selecciona a su presa sigilosamente.During the hunt, the lion carefully selects its prey.
- Ese mosquito es una presita que escapó por poco.That mosquito is a little prey that narrowly escaped.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are watching a nature documentary on television.
- JavierMira cómo el leopardo acecha a su presa.Look how the leopard stalks its prey.
- LucíaPobre animal, no tiene escapatoria.Poor animal, it has no escape.
- JavierEs la ley de la naturaleza y la presa debe correr.It is the law of nature and the prey must run.
- LucíaTienes razón, Javier, es fascinante.You are right, Javier, it is fascinating.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prey” translations and entries presa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries presa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
