Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| barriga | /baˈriɡa/ | feminine |
| vientre | /ˈbjentɾe/ | masculine |
In Spanish, terms for the stomach vary depending on whether you are referring to the external belly area or the internal organ. While barriga and vientre refer to the general belly area, the word estómago is used specifically to refer to the internal organ. You may also use the common phrase tener la barriga llena to indicate that someone has a full belly or has eaten a lot.
Which one should you use?
barriga is a colloquial way to say belly, whereas vientre is used when referring to the abdomen in a more anatomical, formal or literary sense. If you need to be medically precise about the organ itself, use estómago.
Is it said differently in some regions?
panza is an informal term for stomach used especially in Latin America.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
barriga is a feminine noun, and vientre is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/baˈriɡa/
Did you know?
- While estómago refers to the organ, Spanish speakers often use the phrase tener estómago to describe someone who has the courage or nerves to handle a difficult situation.
- The word barriga might actually be a linguistic relative of the Spanish word barrica, which means 'barrel'.
- The word vientre is frequently used in poetic or biblical contexts to refer to the womb or the source of life, rather than just a physical stomach.
Examples in context
- Tom le da un puño a John en el vientre.Tom punched John in the stomach.This sentence shows how to use vientre when describing a physical hit to the abdomen.Tatoeba #13902888 by DuosDragonPolyglot, translation #2957759 by CK
- Después de la operación, el médico examinó mi estómago.After the surgery, the doctor examined my stomach.
- Sentí una molestia en mi vientre después de comer tanto.I felt some discomfort in my stomach after eating so much.
- Me duele la barriga porque comí demasiado helado.My stomach hurts because I ate too much ice cream.
- ¡Qué risa! Le hicieron cosquillas en la panza.How funny! They tickled him on the stomach.
- Me duele la barriga después de comer.My belly hurts after eating.
- El bebé tiene una barriga muy grande.The baby has a very big belly.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are eating at a restaurant.
- JavierNo puedo comer más, tengo la barriga muy llena.I can't eat more, my belly is very full.
- LucíaEs que la comida estaba muy pesada.It is because the food was very heavy.
- JavierSí, ahora siento la barriga un poco hinchada.Yes, now I feel my belly a bit bloated.
- LucíaDeberías pedir un té para la digestión.You should order a tea for digestion.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stomach” translations and entries barriga, vientre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries barriga, vientre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
