gallo
/ˈɡaʝo/masculine
The Spanish word for rooster is gallo.
Gallo is a masculine noun used to refer to a male chicken or a male gallinaceous bird.
Meaning: male chicken, male gallinaceous bird (noun)
Which one should you use?
Gallo refers specifically to the male bird, whereas gallina is used to refer to the female (hen).
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form for a female chicken is gallina.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡaʝo/
Did you know?
- The word gallo comes from the Latin gallus, which was also the word Romans used to refer to the people of Gaul.
- In Spanish, the term 'gallo' can be used to describe a specific type of screeching or cracking sound in a person's voice when they are nervous.
- In certain contexts, such as in the expression 'meter un gallo', the word 'gallo' refers to a mistake or a 'gaffe' made during a conversation.
Examples in context
- El gallo no pone huevos.The rooster doesn't lay eggs.This sentence illustrates that a gallo does not lay eggs.Tatoeba #10084966 by Seael, translation #13155193 by araneo
- Tom no oyó el canto del gallo.Tom didn't hear the rooster crow.This sentence describes hearing the crow of a gallo.Tatoeba #5847669 by albrusgher, translation #3737069 by CK
- Un gallo muerto no teme al fuego.A dead rooster does not fear the fire.This sentence contains a proverb involving a gallo.Tatoeba #5847737 by albrusgher, translation #2562765 by sabretou
- Me encanta escuchar el canto del gallo en la mañana.I love listening to the rooster's crow in the morning.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are visiting a farm.
- Sofía¿Dónde está el gallo de la granja?Where is the farm's rooster?
- MateoEstá allá, detrás de ese árbol.He is over there, behind that tree.
- Sofía¡Qué gallo tan grande y colorido!What a big and colorful rooster!
- MateoSí, es el gallo más fuerte aquí.Yes, he is the strongest rooster here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rooster” translations and entries gallo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gallo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
