serpiente de cascabel
/seɾˌpjente de kaskaˈbel/feminine
The English phrase "rattlesnake" is serpiente de cascabel in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists cascabel.
Meaning: venomous snake (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| serpiente de cascabel | /seɾˌpjente de kaskaˈbel/ | feminine |
| cascabel | /kaskaˈbel/ | feminine |
The term refers to the venomous snake. You can use the full name for the animal or a shortened version that refers to the snake by its most distinctive feature.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase serpiente de cascabel literally translates to "snake of rattle".
Which one should you use?
The word cascabel alone is often used metonymically to refer to the rattlesnake itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun cascabel is feminine. Its plural form is cascabeles.
How do you pronounce it?
/seɾˌpjente de kaskaˈbel/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word cascabel is used to describe a specific type of dried chili pepper because its seeds rattle inside the pod.
- The word cascabel is also the term for the small bells attached to traditional dance costumes or used as percussion instruments.
- The word cascabel originally meant 'small bell' in Vulgar Latin, which is why it is used to describe the snake's rattling sound.
Examples in context
- No te acerques a la culebra cascabel, puede ser peligrosa.Don't get close to the rattlesnake, it can be dangerous.
- Vi una serpiente de cascabel en el desierto.I saw a rattlesnake in the desert.
- Esa serpiente de cascabel es muy peligrosa.That rattlesnake is very dangerous.
- Cuidado con la serpiente de cascabel.Watch out for the rattlesnake.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are hiking in the desert.
- María¡Mira, Daniel! Hay una serpiente de cascabel.Look, Daniel! There is a rattlesnake.
- DanielNo te acerques a ella.Do not get close to it.
- MaríaEstá muy lejos de nosotros.It is very far from us.
- DanielAun así, caminemos por el otro lado.Even so, let's walk on the other side.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rattlesnake” translations and entries serpiente de cascabel, cascabel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cascabel, de, serpiente, CC BY-SA 4.0.
