Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| piedra, papel o tijera | /ˌpjedɾa | paˌpel o tiˈxeɾa/ | masculine |
| yan ken po | /ˌʝan ˌkem ˈpo/ | masculine |
| cachipún | /kat͡ʃipun/ (from spelling rules) | Chile |
| jankenpon | /ʝankemˈpon/ | masculine, alternative form |
| yanquempó | /ʝankemˈpo/ | masculine, alternative form |
The phrase refers to the popular child's game. In many Spanish-speaking countries, people use a term derived from the Japanese name for the game rather than the literal translation of the objects.
What does it mean word for word?
Piedra translates to "rock." Papel means "paper."
Which one should you use?
piedra, papel o tijera is the literal translation of the game. yan ken po, jankenpon and yanquempó are different terms used widely in many Spanish-speaking countries, all of which are derived from the Japanese name for the game. jankenpon is a common alternative spelling of yan ken po.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Chile, the specific term cachipún is used for this game. The terms yan ken po, jankenpon and yanquempó are common across many different Spanish-speaking countries.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌpjedɾa | paˌpel o tiˈxeɾa/
When do people say it?
In many regions, the game is known by the Japanese-derived name yan ken po rather than the Spanish words for the objects.
Did you know?
- In some variations of the game, the word po used in yan ken po is actually derived from the Spanish word pues.
Examples in context
- Piedra, papel o tijera.Rock, paper, scissors.This sentence is useful for practicing the full phrase piedra, papel o tijera.Tatoeba #4988500 by swyter, translation #415516 by blay_paul
- Vamos a jugar piedra, papel o tijeraLet's play rock paper scissors.
- Vamos a jugar piedra, papel o tijera.Let's play rock, paper, scissors.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding who goes first in a game.
- Mateo¿Quieres jugar piedra, papel o tijera para decidir?Do you want to play rock, paper, scissors to decide?
- LucíaSí, me parece bien, Mateo.Yes, that sounds good to me, Mateo.
- MateoA la cuenta de tres.On the count of three.
- Lucía¡Uno, dos, tres!One, two, three!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rock paper scissors” translations and entries piedra, papel o tijera, yan ken po, jankenpon, yanquempó, 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 o, papel, piedra, po, tijera, yan ken po, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
