Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| puñetazo | /puɲeˈtaθo/ /puɲeˈtaso/ |
masculine |
| puñete | /puˈɲete/ | masculine |
| puñada | /puˈɲada/ | feminine |
| piñazo | /piˈɲaθo/ /piˈɲaso/ |
Latin America, masculine |
| zocotroco | /θokotɾoko/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /sokotɾoko/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
This refers to a physical strike or hit made with a closed fist. While this describes a physical action, note that related verbs like perforar are used if the punch is intended to create a hole and picar or taladrar are used specifically for marking a ticket.
Which one should you use?
While puñetazo refers to a physical strike with a fist, puñada refers to a handful of something (like sand or coins).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
puñete is a more colloquial or informal way to refer to a punch compared to the standard puñetazo.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, people often say piña instead of puñetazo. In some Latin American contexts, piñazo can be used to refer to a blow or a hit.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
puñetazo and puñete are masculine nouns, whereas puñada is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/puɲeˈtaθo/
Did you know?
- In Argentina, the word for a punch is piña, which is the same word used for 'pineapple' in most other Spanish-speaking countries.
- The root of puño traces back to the Latin word pugnus, which is the direct ancestor of the English word 'pugilist' (a boxer).
- The word puñetazo uses the suffix -azo, which in Spanish is often added to nouns to indicate a heavy blow or a large version of an object.
Examples in context
- Él me dio un puñetazo en la cara.He gave me a nasty punch to the face.This sentence shows how to describe a punch to the face using puñetazo.Tatoeba #574795 by Leono, translation #697833 by papabear
- ¿Por qué le diste un puñetazo a Tom?Why did you punch Tom?This sentence is useful for asking the reason behind a punch using puñetazo.Tatoeba #3715734 by Seael, translation #3598195 by Hybrid
- Quiero darte un puñetazo en la cara.I want to punch you in your face.This sentence expresses an intention to deliver a punch to the face using puñetazo.Tatoeba #7918162 by fpp, translation #2173908 by Hybrid
- Él recibió un golpe en el rostroHe received a punch on the face
- El boxeador lanzó un puñetazo al oponenteThe boxer threw a punch at his opponent
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are watching a boxing match on TV.
- DanielEse puñetazo fue muy rápido.That punch was very fast.
- LucíaSí, fue un puñetazo impresionante.Yes, it was an impressive punch.
- DanielEl boxeador recibió un puñetazo en el ojo.The boxer received a punch to the eye.
- LucíaPobre hombre, le duele mucho.Poor man, it hurts him a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “punch” translations and entries puñetazo, puñete, puñada, piñazo, 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 piñazo, puñetazo, puñete, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
