erizo de mar
/eˌɾiθo de ˈmaɾ/masculine
The English phrase "sea urchin" is translated into Spanish as erizo de mar. If unsure, use erizo de mar. Wiktionary also lists erizo marino.
Meaning: any of many marine echinoderms of the class Echinoidea (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| erizo de mar | /eˌɾiθo de ˈmaɾ/ /eˌɾiso de ˈmaɾ/ |
masculine |
| erizo marino | /eɾiθo maɾino/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /eɾiso maɾino/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
The term refers to any marine echinoderm of the class Echinoidea.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase erizo de mar is composed of erizo (hedgehog), de (of) and mar (sea), literally meaning "hedgehog of the sea".
Which one should you use?
erizo de mar is the most common way to refer to the animal, whereas erizo marino is a slightly more formal or scientific variation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Mexico, the phrase Erizo de mar negro is used to mean "black sea urchin".
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, you pluralize the noun erizo to erizos while de mar remains unchanged, resulting in erizos de mar.
How do you pronounce it?
/eˌɾiθo de ˈmaɾ/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word erizo and the English word 'urchin' both share a distant ancestor in the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰḗr, which meant 'to bristle'.
- While erizo de mar refers to the marine animal, the word erizo on its own is most commonly used in Spanish to describe a land-dwelling hedgehog.
- In a culinary context, someone might simply ask for erizos instead of the full erizo de mar when shopping at a fish market.
Examples in context
- ¿Alguna vez has comido erizo de mar?Have you ever eaten sea urchin?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has ever eaten erizo de mar.Tatoeba #3476613 by ulymarrero, translation #6023672 by Hybrid
- El erizo de mar es un ingrediente popular de la cocina japonesa.Sea urchin is a popular ingredient in Japanese cooking.This sentence shows that erizo de mar is a popular ingredient in Japanese cuisine.Tatoeba #10181116 by Seael, translation #10181054 by Hybrid
- Una vez, Cristóbal Colón se comió accidentalmente un erizo de mar. Entonces, lo hizo otra vez… a propósito.Christopher Columbus once accidentally ate a sea urchin. Then, he did it a second time… intentionally.This sentence tells a story about Christopher Columbus eating an erizo de mar.Tatoeba #543567 by Shishir, translation #543063 by FeuDRenais
- Me encantan los erizos de mar.I love sea urchins
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are walking along a rocky beach.
- JavierMira ese erizo de mar en la roca.Look at that sea urchin on the rock.
- Lucía¡Qué miedo! Tiene muchas espinas.How scary! It has many spines.
- JavierEs un erizo de mar muy pequeño.It is a very small sea urchin.
- LucíaNo te acerques demasiado a él.Don't get too close to it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sea urchin” translations and entries erizo de mar, 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 de, erizo, erizo de mar, mar, marino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
