foca
/ˈfoka/feminine
The English word seal is translated into Spanish as foca. Wiktionary also lists lobo marino and lobo del mar.
Meaning: pinniped (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| foca | /ˈfoka/ | feminine |
| lobo marino | /ˌlobo maˈɾino/ | masculine |
| lobo del mar | /lobo del maɾ/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
While foca is a common translation for seal in both Spain and Latin America, other terms like lobo marino are used for specific species.
What does it mean word for word?
The term lobo marino literally translates to 'sea wolf'.
Which one should you use?
foca is a feminine noun used for a seal. lobo marino and lobo del mar are masculine nouns. Note that león marino refers specifically to sea lions (eared seals), which are distinct from true seals.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Chile, the term Elefante marino is used to describe large seals with a proboscis-like snout (elephant seals).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the feminine noun foca is focas. The plural form of the masculine noun lobo marino is los lobos marinos.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfoka/
Did you know?
- While English uses 'seal' for both the animal and a wax stamp, Spanish uses two entirely different words: foca for the animal and sello for the stamp.
- The word foca entered Spanish as a learned borrowing, meaning it was consciously adopted from Latin rather than evolving naturally from spoken Vulgar Latin.
Examples in context
- La orca atrapó a una foca.The orca caught a seal.This sentence shows an orca catching a foca.Tatoeba #10493979 by Seael, translation #12250823 by opalandwoof
- Había una foca en la costa.There was a seal on the shore.This sentence describes a foca found on the coast.Tatoeba #11841669 by Seael, translation #851969 by marloncori
- La foca es un animal de las regiones polares.The seal is an animal from the polar region.This sentence identifies the foca as an animal from polar regions.Tatoeba #1976129 by Shishir, translation #12253226 by opalandwoof
- El zoológico tiene una foca muy divertidaThe zoo has a very entertaining seal
- En la playa, pude ver un león marino nadandoI saw a sea lion swimming at the beach
- ¡Mira qué foquita más bonita!Look at that adorable little seal!
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are looking at a nature documentary.
- JavierMira esa foca en el hielo.Look at that seal on the ice.
- MaríaEs muy linda la foca.The seal is very cute.
- Javier¿Es una foca de verdad?Is it a real seal?
- MaríaSí, es una foca de verdad.Yes, it is a real seal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seal” translations and entries foca, lobo marino, lobo del 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 del, foca, lobo, mar, marino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
